


Do Your Thing On The Runway

by TheAdorableTia



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Supermodel AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:20:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27905854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAdorableTia/pseuds/TheAdorableTia
Summary: When his best friend Ronnie suggests that he should try auditioning for a modeling gig to earn extra cash, John thinks she's gone off the deep end. Little does he know that shy, but sassy John Deacon is exactly what Freddie, the owner and designer of Mercury Rising, needs in a model. As it turns out, his best friend and number one model Roger, needs John in more ways than he could possibly know.
Relationships: John Deacon/Roger Taylor
Comments: 43
Kudos: 36





	1. I'm A Model, You Know What I Mean

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my latest addition to the Queen writing fandom! I'm at it again with the Dealor/Joger pairing, because what can I say? I'm a sucker for The Sonic Volcano. I hope you all enjoy this crazy Supermodel AU!

“John! I think I’ve found something you could do for that side job!”

John nearly tumbled out of the chair he was sitting in when the high voice of his best friend Ronnie rang out into his dorm room. As it was, he’d sent little bits and bobs that he’d been working with scattering around his desk. He let out a long sigh and turned to see the woman standing in the doorway with a piece of paper clutched in her hands, a wide grin on her face. John didn’t trust that look. There was a glint of mischief in the blonde’s bright eyes that he knew all too well.

“Ronnie, if that is another advert looking for go-go dancers I promise that I will never take you down to SoHo again.” The last time she’d said she had found him a suitable part time job, she’d handed him a flier that was looking for young men to dance in their underwear at a club in SoHo. She’d grabbed it one night when they’d been down there, drinking and dancing the night away, and had genuinely thought it would be a reasonable way for him to earn extra income. 

Ronnie moved further into the room, coming to stand next to John. Normally, she would have hopped up and sat on the edge of John’s desk. She’d learned that hard way how painful it was to accidentally sit on John’s projects. Sitting on a screw was quite literally a pain in the ass. She held up the paper with a flourish, and passed it to the brunet man still looking at her with mistrust. She was John’s best friend, and had been for years now. It didn’t mean he thought every idea she had was a good one.

He took the flier with caution and studied the writing inked onto it. 

**_“Fashion Designer seeking models for show. Men and women needed. Auditions will be taken at the below address between 6 and 8 pm on 17, 18, and 19 Sept. Will pay £20 upon end of show.”_**

John’s face turned back up to Ronnie, shock and skepticism coloring his expression.

“Where did you find this?” He asked her as he set the paper down on the top of his desk. “Who has that much money to throw around to models? I’ve never heard of.. Mercury Rising. How can they afford that?” John double checked the name written at the top of the flier to make sure he’d gotten the name of the clothing brand correct. 

Ronnie rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Why am I not surprised.” John wasn’t exactly a fashionista. His wardrobe was filled with mainly tee shirts and jeans, with the occasional button up and a couple of outfits that were reserved for going out dancing.

“I was visiting a friend over at Ealing. Apparently, the designer is a graduate from there. Dom said he’s pretty popular around the London fashion scene. Hand makes all of his stuff.” She pointed at the poster again. “He can afford to pay that because his stuff isn’t exactly off the rack.”

John was still not totally convinced. He wasn’t an extrovert by any stretch. The idea of getting dolled up for the purpose of being gawked at didn’t exactly sit well with him. It made something curl in the bottom of his stomach with nerves. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the idea of standing in a box in little more than his pants and dancing for strangers to throw money at him. The look on his face told the woman standing next to him that much.

“Ronnie,” John started, trying to speak as calmly as he could. “I know you’re just trying to help, but this..” He gestured to the poster, “This is not the kind of thing that I had in mind when I said I needed a part time gig. I was thinking about appliance repair, or working in a shop, not prancing around for posh people to stare at me. I’m not doing it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


‘What the bloody hell am I doing here?’ John thought to himself as he walked down the alleyway in Kensington Market, his eyes scanning around for the sign advertising Mercury Rising. It was a dreary evening, clouds covered the sky and there was a light drizzle of rain. He had thought the conversation with Ronnie had ended with his refusal to go audition for the modeling job, but he had been sorely mistaken. It felt like every time he had seen his best friend after that, she’d bring up the idea again.

He rebuffed her every single time, but by the fourth time she’d brought it up he’d given in to her insistence. He didn’t know why she’d become so keen on him trying for this job. It wasn’t like the world would end if he didn’t go to the audition. So he’d agreed to going to see the designer, just to make her stop asking. He’d had half a mind to just go to the pub instead, but in the end he knew that the guilt of lying to her would eat him up from the inside. She was still his best friend after all, and she genuinely cared about him.

After another few minutes of walking, John spotted the stall that held the little clothing store. There was a sign over the doorway, lit by a lamp overhead. It had the name of the brand flanked by what looked like two fairies. In the window was a copy of the same flier that Ronnie had given to him advertising the need for models. He checked his watch and saw that it was now a little after six. He was here at the right time, and there would be no turning back. Not after he’d come all this way, no matter how many butterflies decided to take residence in his belly.

He steadied himself and took a few calming breaths before pulling open the door to the shop, making the little bell over the door ring out through the small space. He ran his hand through his long brown hair and shook his head slightly, trying to clear a bit of the damp from it.

The little stall was filled to bursting with clothes of all different sizes, colors, and fabrics. It was an explosion of fashion that could boggle the mind with how much variation there was to choose from. Ronnie had said that this designer was hand making all of his own things, and John had to appreciate the time and effort it had to take to make all of these pieces.

A moment later, a voice rang out from behind the curtain that had been hung up at the back of the room, creating a divide in the place. The voice was high, and a little bit raspy but was undoubtedly male. 

“We’ll be just a moment!”

John stepped further into the room with a little hesitancy, his nerves still getting the better of him. He’d been contemplating making an escape before his body decided that the way to get rid of the butterflies would be to vomit them out, when two men stepped out from behind the red velvet curtain. 

They were both around the same height, and looked of similar ages and builds. One had dark hair cut into a long bob with a fringe, slightly tanned skin, and dark eyes that glinted when they landed on John. The other was blond with wavy shoulder length hair, peachy skin, and large blue eyes that John felt like he could easily get lost in. John probably looked like he was caught in headlights, his eyes wide and expression uncertain.

“Uhm… Hallo. I’m.. I’m here for the model auditions.” John stammered out. He felt like an idiot standing there in his ‘going out’ outfit that Ronnie had insisted that he wear. These were supposed to be the clothes that were meant to be for going out on the pull. Bell bottom velvet trousers, platform suede boots, and a nice button up top patterned with stars under his overcoat.

The two men in front of him were dressed like they had just stepped out of one of those magazines that Ronnie liked to read. The dark haired man was dressed in all black, accented with glinting silver jewelry, and accents along the cuffs and neckline of his shirt. It was chic and elegant, but the tightness of it all made it seem more fashionable than practical.

The blond was nearly the opposite. His whole look was filled with color with a sparkling rainbow jacket worn without a shirt, skin tight white pants and bright pink shoes that glittered slightly under the overhead lights. Gold necklaces dangled down his chest and wrapped around his throat, drawing attention to the smooth skin there.

John was drawn from his slight trance by the darkly dressed man, who stepped forward with a scrutinizing look on his face. John held out a hand, glad that it wasn’t shaking by some miracle.

“My name is John. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He might have been nervous, but his mother’s teachings on politeness and propriety were deeply ingrained into him. It didn’t matter that he felt like he might throw up at any moment, he would introduce himself like a proper gentleman.

The dark haired man’s lips turned up at the corner, and his eyes glinted again as he brought his hand up to clasp with John’s for a moment. 

“Trust me, the pleasure is all mine, darling. I’m Freddie, welcome to my shop.” Ah, so this was the man behind the clothes. It made a small blush creep up in John’s cheeks at Freddie’s words. John had never been great with compliments. He always got embarrassed when someone told him he looked good, even on nights when he’d been looking to go home with someone.

“I’m Roger.” Said the blond man. He hadn’t moved forward, but gave a wave to John from where he stood, leaning against the little check out counter. His voice had been the one to call out from behind the curtain. John nodded at the acknowledgement, and slid his gaze back to Freddie, even if his eyes wanted to stay on Roger. 

“So John, have you got any experience with modeling?” Freddie asked as he looked more closely at John, his eyes studying the brunet closely. John’s overcoat hid a bit of his frame, but Freddie could tell that John probably had a good figure going on beneath it. He had long lean legs that Freddie just knew would lead to narrow hips.

Before John could answer, there was a small snort of laughter from the back of the room. Freddie turned around with a disapproving look on his face aimed at his companion.

“No offense mate, but you don’t exactly look like you’re in the fashion world. Don’t give me that look Freddie, you were thinking it too.” Roger said with a shrug and a small smirk teasing the edge of his lips. “Not that you don’t look good, though.” The compliment was accompanied by a wink, and John swore his heart beat twice as fast for a few moments after that.

“He’s ever the charmer Rog is, my dear.” Freddie rolled his eyes as he looked back at John with a warm smile.

John’s grey-green eyes moved to look at the floor for a moment as he tried to slow his quickly beating heart. 

“He’s right though.” John said softly as his eyes looked up through his lashes, showing his very innate shyness clearly to both men. “I’ve never really paid much attention to most fashion. My friend gave me one of your fliers and wouldn’t stop pestering me until I agreed to come down here.” John thought for a moment before going on, deciding that honesty was the best policy. “The amount of money you’re offering is nothing small, especially to a student. I know I’m not the best looking bloke out there, and I’m not too keen on being stared at by a load of strangers. But if you decide to put me in your show I’ll work hard, and I’ll be eternally grateful.”

John didn’t know what came over him. He had come in not with the idea of intentionally blowing it, but not to try too hard. He didn’t actually want to be in the show, and had to remind himself of that. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to stay, to try to get into the show, to be around these men more. It was like they had a sort of magnetism around them that was drawing him each with each second he stayed in their presence. Especially Roger. There was something about the colorful blond that intrigued John, even though they’d barely spoken to each other in the few minutes they’d been in the same room.

Freddie raised an eyebrow at John’s little speech. He was surprised that the young man had gotten all of that out. He also appreciated the honesty in John’s words. Many people who had come in over the last couple of days had given platitudes to Freddie, who though flattered, saw the disingenuous remarks as a sign of being untrustworthy. There was something about this shy, inexperienced man that made Freddie want to say yes to him right then and there without further interview.

Roger had been thinking the same thing from where he stood. Though not a designer himself, he was Freddie’s best friend and had been modeling the man’s clothes since the beginning and he helped work the shop when he wasn’t attending classes. Roger wanted to crack open the protective shell that John seemed to have around him and find out what made him tick. He also wanted to see what John looked like without the bulky overcoat hiding his figure.

“Freddie, let’s put him in a couple things. Make sure he matches with the clothes.” Roger smiled and stepped away from the counter.

“Of course,” Freddie said, putting the smile back on his face. “Though, to me this is just a formality.” 

John let out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding, and allowed a small smile to come onto his lips. That was a good sign. Freddie only saw him trying on clothes as a formality. It meant that he was as good as hired. He was led to the back of the room, Freddie and Roger both grabbing things off of racks as they went. They opened up the curtain for John and passed him a couple of things, before tugging it closed again.

When he was alone in the makeshift dressing room, it hit him. He was alone with two strange men in a market stall in Kensington trying on clothes for an interview to model in a fashion show. What in the world was he doing here? He had never expected for this to actually get to this point. He’d thought they would take one look at him, laugh at the possibility and turn him away. This had been an unforeseen outcome, one that his pessimistic brain hadn’t dared to think about. He’d counted it as an impossibility. 

With another sigh, he pulled off his coat and changed into the clothing that had been provided to him by Freddie and Roger. They’d given him a pair of dark bell bottom trousers made of a shiny material that might be satin, a striped knitted tank top and a black semi formal jacket. When he pulled the items on, he had to admit that the look was pretty good. He certainly looked more like he belonged with the pair than he had moments before. He emerged from behind the curtain, shoeless and blushing. He’d thought about putting them back on but even he knew that the beige suede definitely did not go with the rest of the outfit.

He didn’t see Freddie and Roger at first but, after a second of looking he saw both of them bent over a small table next to the counter filled with a bunch of what looked to be accessories. John coughed to let them know, politely, that he had come out of the little curtained off space. They turned around, and a large grin filled Freddie’s face. That was a good sign then. He didn’t start laughing, and he didn’t look at John funny like the outfit was a joke.

Roger’s face was a little more reserved, his gaze running up and down John’s body in a more appraising way. He’d expected more of that from Freddie, as he was the designer and all. It seemed though that Freddie was more worried about how the clothes looked on him rather than scrutinizing John himself. 

Freddie came up and adjusted a few things on John, like the way the hem of the jacket fell, and tugged the tank top down in the front so that it showed more of John’s chest.

“You look fabulous John, I just knew you would.” Freddie spoke with glee. 

“Thank you.” John said shyly, taken aback by the compliment. He wasn’t used to being praised for his looks. It was sort of nice, really, to be told he looked good by someone who wasn’t trying to get him into bed, or a bathroom cubicle, or an alleyway just to be discarded after they’d had their fun.

Roger stepped over and held out some piece of somewhat fluffy black fabric to John, his eyes still focused on looking him over in a way that was burning right through into the brunet’s soul.

“Here, put this on.” Roger said in a casual voice, laced with a little something that John couldn’t place. John took the fabric and studied it for a moment before he realized what it was. It was some sort of fluffy bow tie. It was exaggerated, with large pleated bows with a band made of elastic. He pulled the garment over his head, and adjusted it after pulling his hair through. It sat near the bottom of his throat, and Roger took Freddie’s place in front of him to make sure it sat right. John felt heat creep into his skin where Roger’s fingertips brushed against him as he made sure the bow tie was on him just right. 

The two men stepped back from John, and smiled.

“All you need is some shoes and a bit of makeup and I could send you down the runway right now!” Freddie was near gleeful in his proclamation. John was caught off guard at the mention of makeup being applied to him, but squashed the slight panic when he realized that of course it would be a requirement of the job. 

“Could you walk for us John, just down to the door and back?” Roger asked him, his look back to that of being appraising. 

“Oh yes dear, just a little strut, so we can see the way you move.” Freddie said at John’s slightly confused expression.

John nodded and took a deep breath. Why was this so nerve wracking? He was just walking from one end of the room to the other. It wasn’t like they asked him to do cartwheels or pirouettes or any other very embarrassing things. He walked forward, taking careful steps, imagining that he was just walking down the street, which did feel strange as he was still lacking shoes. Why hadn’t he put his platforms back on?

When he got to the front door, he turned back around. As nervous as he had been walking away from them, it felt ten times more when he was going towards them. He could now see their faces taking him in, and analyzing his every movement.

He did his best to keep his face neutral as he walked, and when he arrived a couple of feet in front of the pair, he stopped. As a last second decision, he struck a pose, hands poised on his waist, cocking one hip out and keeping his face stoic while staring straight ahead.

Freddie clapped his hands, and exclaimed, “Darling, you’re a natural. We’ll need to work a bit on your posture, but your stride is lovely and the clothes move so well on you!”

“Yeah, you were pretty good.” Roger said, the corners of his mouth twitching up the slightest bit, like he was trying to hide his reaction. “I can help you when you come for your first fitting.”

John looked a little confused for a moment as he took in those words. Then he nodded when he understood. Of course he would have to come back to get fitted into the clothes. Judging by how well these fit him, though, he didn’t think much adjustment would be needed if he fit the samples so well. 

“Alright then.” A little blush crossed his cheeks when he thought about the pretty blond man helping him with his modeling. He was about to go back behind the curtain to change into his normal clothes when Freddie told him to wait. John was a little confused again, thinking that the audition was over and that he was in, even if neither Freddie nor Roger had formally offered him the job.

The dark haired man flit behind the counter and came back out with a polaroid camera in hand. Oh. Freddie wanted a picture of him. It made sense to John, Freddie would need to remember what John looked like. “Oh, uhm.. Ok.” He said and he tried to straighten himself up. “Should I.. should I pose or something?” He moved from foot to foot, showing his nerves finally.

“No-”

“Yes, just like the one you did at the end of your walk.” Roger said, interrupting Freddie. There was that little smile on his face as he said it, and John was trying to place what it was that the blond found amusing. 

Even though he wasn’t sure of it, he posed himself in the same way he had before while Freddie took a couple of photos of him. The man had even taken a close up of John’s face, the suddenness of it taking John by surprise. They allowed him to change back into his street clothes, and John felt oddly out of place again with the fashionably dressed men, but he was happy to have his platforms back on his feet.

“I’ll need you back on Tuesday for your first fitting, dear, if that works for you.” Freddie said as he placed the still developing instant pictures on the counter. He gave John a reassuring smile that had the nineteen year old easing a little bit more than he already was. 

“I have classes in the morning, but I can come by after lunch.” He said as he did the buttons of his coat, his own lips curling up in a smile.

“That’ll be cool.” Roger answered for him and Freddie, “I have classes that morning as well, so it works out for your lesson.”

John gave a nod in response, “Well, I’ll see you both on Tuesday then. Thank you, again, for giving me the chance. I promise I’ll do my best.”

Both gave him a wave and goodbyes before John walked out into the still damp and slightly chillier dark. That small smile was still on the brunet’s face as he quickly made his way down the streets and back to his dorm.

He could not wait to see the look on Ronnie’s face when he told her he got the job. He was not looking forward to the gloating that would certainly follow the initial shock, but it would be worth it.

Somewhere deep inside of him, he knew that this audition was the best thing that had happened to him in a very long time. He was sure that it would lead to something even better in his life, he just didn’t know what.


	2. Put The Bass In Your Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John has his first lesson on how to be a model.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this weird flight of fancy!

Ronnie’s reaction when John told her about the audition the next day was just as John had thought it would be. The look of shock that crossed the young woman’s face was priceless. She was absolutely gobsmacked. After a few moments of her mouth opening and closing like a fish, she started to scream, jumping up and down like a lunatic and doing a celebratory dance. She was even more excited about the job than John was.

John was only excited about the money. Ok, and the prospect of getting to see Roger again, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Ronnie. Freddie has also been very nice, and seemed like a fun person to be around, so at least there was that. He also didn’t tell Ronnie that he was scared out of his mind about the entire thing. Walking in front of a bunch of people who were there to stare at him made nerves jump around in his stomach every time he thought about it.

This wasn’t like walking down a crowded street, where everyone was focused on their own lives. These people would be staring directly at him. Logically, he knew they would be staring at the clothes he was wearing. There was part of him though, that kept telling him that they’d think he looked like a fool. More than once in the few days between the audition and the date for his first fitting and lesson in fashion he had considered going down to Kensington Market to tell Freddie he’d changed his mind.

Then the thought of the money, and Freddie’s enthusiasm, and Roger’s little smile would pop into his head. His sense of responsibility would also kick in at those moments. He couldn’t just abandon the job. He’d committed to it, and he would see it through. John was not one to quit things just because they were hard. Sometimes with his tinkering projects, the more difficult the problem seemed, the more he enjoyed solving it.

His classes on Tuesday morning seemed to speed by. Hours felt like seconds, as if time itself was pushing him forward. Before he knew it, his last class of the day had ended in the early afternoon and he found himself walking the streets of London towards the popular Kensington Market once more. In the early afternoon, the place was less crowded than it had been on Saturday evening. It was easier to wind his way through the alleys. He didn’t have to squint at signs under yellow lamp lights, or double check to make sure he’d made the correct turn at the right place. 

Mercury Rising looked even more charming in the daylight, the details of the fairies that flanked the name of the stall standing out in the sunlight. He stood outside for a few moments, taking a couple of deep breaths before entering the stall. The little bell over the door chimed, slightly startling the two men who were behind the counter. They jumped apart, as if they had been caught in the middle of something. Freddie was one of the men. He was hurriedly running his fingers through his hair, trying to fix it. The other man was tall, much taller than John or Freddie, with wildly curly brown hair framing his angular face.

Freddie smiled at John, a wide grin showing off his teeth. It was true that it looked like he had too many in his mouth, but the whole effect was infectious. John gave a small smile of his own as he moved further into the stall, coming towards the back to meet Freddie and the strange man. 

“John, this is Brian.” The shorter man said as he gestured to the tall man, both of them coming around the counter to meet with him. Brian’s build only added to the effect of his height. He was rail thin, with long arms and legs that looked like they went on for miles. His hair also gave him a couple extra inches of perceived height. “He’s also going to be walking in the show, aren’t you, love?” The question was followed by a pointed stare up at Brian, and even John could see the expectant look in Freddie’s gaze.

Brian gave a roll of the hazel colored eyes that John could now see the color of, and smiled. “Don’t I always?” He held a hand out to John, who took it and was slightly surprised by the strength of the grip.

“Pleasure to meet you.” John said quietly, with a small smile on his face. He had a suspicion that just before he’d interrupted them, they had been in the middle of an intimate moment. It didn’t bother him at all. He’d never been bothered by labels, people loved who they loved. And fucked, who they fucked. John had his own share of same sex escapades in his past, none of them lasting more than the time it took for them each to get off. It had suited him just fine. 

  
  


“I’ll be seeing you around then, John.” Brian said with a nod of his head, causing the mass of curls to bounce a bit as he did. He gave a look to Freddie, and even though he could tell they were trying not to show affection in front of him, he could see the love and tenderness in both men’s eyes as they nodded to each other before Brian left. Freddie called after him, telling him that he would see him later back at the flat.

  
  


“Well now darling, let’s figure out what we’re going to do with you.” Freddie said with a slightly worried smile. For a second, John thought that look and those words meant that the flamboyant designer was having second thoughts about him as a model, but as Freddie eagerly urged him into the back area behind the curtain and began to dig through a pile of papers that all had sketches of clothing, muttering to himself about so many choices, the brunet realized that his new boss was probably more worried about having been caught out with his boyfriend.

“Aha! This will be perfect for you, dear!” Freddie exclaimed as he landed on a sketch that he held out to the brunet. “Take a look, let me know what you think. I wouldn’t want you walking in something you don’t like.”

John gently took the paper from him and studied the outfit that was drawn on it. It consisted of simple black flared leg pants, and a top where the shoulders and top half of the arms were ruffled and white with black bell sleeves. The black chest of the top had thin grey lines across it and on the left side a piece of white fabric extended down to the knees almost like a cape, giving the whole thing an asymmetric look that made the eye move across it to try and take it all in.

It wasn’t John’s usual style, but then again, his style seemed to run closer to comfort and ease. Aside from his platforms of course. Those were the least practical pieces of clothing he owned. 

“It’s.. interesting. Draws the eye.” John said, trying to figure out how to describe his feelings about it without telling Freddie that he really didn’t care what the designer put him in. His job was to wear the clothes, not tell the man what he wanted to wear. “If you think I’ll look good in it, then I’m sure it’s a good choice. You’re the expert here, after all.”

John smiled when Freddie gave him an approving look and then set aside that paper and picked up another one. This one had a drawing of another outfit, similar to the one that Freddie and Roger had watched him walk in. A black blazer jacket with a black vee neck top decorated with white flowers around the neck of the shirt, flared black trousers and the fluffy bow tie. Most of the drawings featured black and white clothes, which John was fine with. It made the assortment of clothes cohesive.

“This one too, dear. You’ll wear this one first and then go backstage and change into the other one I showed you. All the models will be wearing two sets of clothing, you see. This is a short show, just a sampling of my creations. There will be six peopletotal, including Roger, Brian, and myself.” Freddie explained as he put the papers back together after writing John’s name on each of the ones he had shown him with a flourish. 

“You’re walking in your own show?” John asked with a quizzical look on his face. The slight schooling that Ronnie had given him after her freak out about him getting the job had never mentioned designers walking in their own shows.

“Why wouldn’t I? My clothes are fabulous!” Freddie said while he motioned for John to take off his jacket and stand on a small circle platform centered in front of a mirror. John did as instructed, and stood on the circle. Freddie began to circle around him, a length of tape measure in his hands. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to be getting close to.. intimate.. parts of you so I can measure at some points.”

The man started to take measurements, the length of John’s arms and the width of his shoulders and the diameter of his biceps, making meticulous notes the entire time. 

“Freddie..” John spoke slowly while he watched the man go about his measuring. “About earlier, when I came in..”

“What about it darling?” His words were only slightly defensive, and his deep brown eyes turned to look at the brunet’s face, his face more closed off than it had been before, like he was bracing himself. John couldn’t blame him. Homosexuality had only been legal for a short time, and John’s own encounters would still be seen as illegal as he was still only nineteen.

“I just wanted you to know that.. well..” John paused for a moment, trying to think of what he wanted to say. He wanted to let Freddie know that he was fine with it, and he even wanted to tell him about himself. He was so used to keeping that side of him quiet, and only acting on it when it was dark, where no one could see. Ronnie was the only person who knew about it, and she never judged him for it. Something told him he could trust Freddie. They were in very similar situations in this regard. “I wanted you to know that.. me too. At least sometimes. I.. I like both. Men and women that is.”

There was a long moment of silence that stretched on for what felt like an eternity. John’s mind whirled around, thinking that maybe he made a mistake. Maybe he’d totally misread everything he had seen earlier. Had he just confessed something so personal to a virtual stranger without any real cause or justification? Just how big of a fool did he make of himself?

Freddie’s body relaxed from the tensed state it had been in since John had mentioned the earlier encounter. 

“Well, it’s nice to know that Brian and I won’t have to tiptoe around you then.” He went back to taking his measurements, and John let out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding in. “And I want you to know,” the dark haired man continued, “If you ever feel like you need to talk about it to someone, my door will be open. You’re very young still, and I know just how it feels to be in that sort of place, mentally.” 

Freddie was now measuring the brunet’s lower half, measuring his inseam, thighs, and hips. Just as he had finished up with the measurements, the sound of the bell over the door rang out and the familiar voice of Roger called out a greeting. A few moments later, the blond popped his head around the curtain to see John still on the circle stand as Freddie held different fabrics up, his eyes moving between the material and John’s body. 

“The satin for sure Freddie. Now that you have John right here, you know it’s the best choice.” He said as he moved fully into the room. “Good to see you again John.” The blond man smiled at the brunet, who gave him a nod of greeting and a smile in return. Roger was just as pretty as the first time John had seen him. Over the last couple of days, John had convinced himself that Roger couldn’t have been that good looking. It was just the lighting or because it was the idea of Roger being in the fashion world, and being a model that built him up in the young man’s eyes.

But no. Roger was still as angelically beautiful as he had been that evening. His blond hair was shiny and long, and his big blue eyes were in a face that was equally as beautiful as it was handsome. It was no wonder that Roger was a model, the man was genetically designed to look like he was supposed to be stared at and admired. It made John feel like a rubbish bin next to him. He wondered what Freddie had seen in him that first night that made him want to put John in his show. Not when he had people like himself, and Roger, and Brian to do it. 

“If you’re quite done, Fred, I’d like to start with John’s lesson before we get the evening rush.” Roger said with his eyes running along the brunet in that same appraising way he had the first time they had met. Roger let one side of his lips quirk up. The look gave John a small tingle in his spine. The look said that Roger approved of what he saw, just as he had before. The revelation gave John the tiniest ego boost. This ethereal being approved of his looks.

Freddie motioned for John to join Roger, still studying the fabrics in front of him, a look of deep concentration on his face. John had to admire Freddie’s dedication and how seriously he was taking his craft. It only added to John’s reasons to like and trust the man in addition to the earlier mutual confession.

John followed Roger out to the main room, happy that this time he was still wearing his platforms. Roger instructed John to stand up straight, and he complied. Roger shook his head with a small smile that radiated a fondness from it. 

“Like this, John. Posture is important, it tells people about you. The way you stand, move your arms and hands and the expressions on your face. Modeling is all about using those to your advantage. To sell the clothes or whatever it is you’re advertising.” Roger reached out and started to prod and push at different parts of John, making him hold his shoulders back, his chin up, and widen his stance a little bit. “When you stand with your shoulders back, and your chin up, you seem taller and more confident.” He smiled as he looked over John. “You’ve got the body and the face, John. You just need to use them.”

John felt heat coming into his cheeks at the compliment Roger had given him. There was another tiny boost to his confidence in those words. Roger was right about the stance, holding his shoulders back and his chin up was making him feel bigger, and more brave than he did in his normal slightly hunched stance. John was used to not wanting to be noticed, but right now, he wanted Roger to notice him. “It does make me feel better to stand this way. I feel.. Braver. If that makes sense.”

Roger nodded in understanding. “Now, keep that posture and walk down to the door and back.”

John did as he was told, keeping his shoulders back and head up while he strut from one end of the room to the other, and back again. By the time he reached Roger again, the brunet could see Roger holding back laughter. His eyes were shining, and his lips were pressed together, though the edges were turned up and strained like he was holding himself back.

“What’s so funny Roger?” John said, putting his hands on his hips and giving the pretty blond man a glare.

“You were walking like you had a stick up your arse.” Roger said with a laugh in his voice. 

“I was walking how you told me to!” John said exasperatedly. He threw his hands out to the sides of him, and winced as he nearly knocked over a display of rings set on the table next to him.

“Yes, I suppose you were, but you were so.. Stiff.” Roger moved forward again, once more poking and prodding at John, adjusting him ever so slightly. “The key is to make it look natural. Like it’s how you walk every day, but a little better. Swing your legs out a little bit more, almost like a kick but not really strong. It’ll look and feel a little bit odd, but when you have the pants on, it’ll make the bottoms flare out better.”

Roger stood up with his shoulders back and chin up, and began to walk to demonstrate what he meant. He also put his hands in his pockets. The way he made it look so casual astounded John. He looked totally at ease with what he was doing, and John wasn’t sure he would ever be able to achieve that. Even the way his legs moved out in front in a slight kick looked natural, as if he were having a pleasant stroll.

Roger came back and stood next to John, doing a little hop as he did. “Your turn. Relax. Think of a song in your head, and walk to the beat. There will be music going at the show for you to walk to, basically a timer for us. It’ll help.”

John looked at Roger a little warily, but he did as instructed. He took a deep breath and imagined a song in his head. It was some sort of soul track he’d heard over the radio, and the beat had stayed in his head for days afterwards. He placed his hands in his pockets like Roger had, squared his shoulders, held his chin up and began to walk.

He let the beat in his head flow through his limbs. His hips swayed slightly with each step, and he allowed the corner of his lips to turn up ever so slightly as he thought about how silly he felt. At the same time though, he felt good. The posture, and the beat in his mind were coming together to make him feel what he had said about feeling braver earlier. When he forgot about looking like an idiot, it came much more naturally. With the song in his mind, there wasn’t any room for him to think about those things, only on the beat and the way he was moving his body.

When he made it back to Roger, the blond man was smiling at him. It made him look even more beautiful than he already was and that was a feat. He gave his own smile back to Roger in return, forgetting to hide the little gap in his front teeth as he did. 

“That was great John! Much better than the first time. You’ve got some moves hidden inside of you. I bet you like to dance.” John felt his cheeks blush at the compliment, and kicked the toe of his boot against the floor of the showroom.

“Yeah, I like to have a bop now and again. Sometimes my best friend and I like to go to SoHo and be fools for a bit.” John said softly, and with his smile still intact. For a moment, it looked like Roger was going to say something else to John, but it was at that moment that Freddie decided to make an entrance from behind the curtain.

“John, my dear, how is the lesson going?” He said as he flipped his dark hair over his shoulder with another flourish. John noticed that Freddie wasn’t one to do things with half measures. He also realized after being told that three out of the six models walking in the show were the designer himself, his boyfriend and the person that was probably Freddie’s best friend, was that was how he could afford the twenty pound payment that he was giving to John and the remaining two models. He only had to pay three people for their time. It was a smart move, and John had to give the man credit for that.

“It’s going well, I think.” John said, looking at Roger expectantly, like a kid waiting for the teacher to tell them how well they did on their homework.

“He’s a natural Freddie. I’m scared to send him on the runway, people might start a riot.” Roger said with a teasing smile. This made the blush on John’s cheeks deepen even more. 

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!” Freddie said clapping his hands, and then he decided he was going to join in on the lesson, with a laugh.


	3. I Do My Little Turn On The Catwalk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John goes for his final fitting, and wonders about the blond haired model.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for putting up with my erratic posting schedule! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

John had always been a quick learner, and Freddie and Roger were fantastic teachers. In no time, he was picking up the tricks they were telling him, and putting them together. Roger mainly focused on the way John’s body moved, and the brunet felt himself blush a bit as the blond used his hands to maneuver his body into different poses and postures.

“At the end of the runway, you’ll need to use three poses. Just stay on one for a couple of beats, then move to the next. After that, you turn around and walk back.” Roger said as he finished moving John into yet another pose.

“And don’t forget your face, dearie. Grand gestures, and walking, and posing are all important yes, but your face is just as crucial.” Freddie said while studying the young man’s face. Freddie was very focused on the clothes, but he was also very obsessed with expressions. He said they were the window into knowing what someone was thinking, and feeling. That scared John a little, as he was one to generally keep his feelings to himself, and not letting anyone too close in. Expressions sold a look almost as much as the outfit itself. Or so Freddie said.

More importantly than learning the tricks he would need, John was having  _ fun _ . Sure, he wasn’t dancing in a disco with Ronnie, or drinking away his shyness in a pub. He was laughing, and smiling, and he didn’t care that he was making a fool of himself. He was so drawn to these men, in two very different ways. He was drawn to Freddie as if the man was family. Like he was a brother, a confidant, someone that John could trust.

He was drawn to Roger like a moth is drawn to the flame. Roger was beautiful, and funny, and smart. John knew these things from the couple of hours he had spent with him. He was so full of life that John wished he could take some for himself. There was a vivacious quality to Roger, like he was doing his best to make his life one that he would never have regrets about. 

It was crazy to think that the brunet could know all of this about these two men who were still virtual strangers. John had a good feeling about them, all the same.

The lesson ended when a customer walked into the shop, and Freddie flitted over to them. The woman looked very posh, and Freddie greeted her like an old friend. Roger leaned over and informed John that she was a regular, and never failed to leave the stall without at least two pieces of clothing.

John was getting ready to retreat behind the curtain and retrieve his coat to leave so that he wouldn’t disturb any chances for Freddie to sell, but was too late. 

“Oh, Freddie, did you hire another model to work in the stall? How do you find such beautiful people? It’s maddening!” The woman said as she looked over at John, who had finally made his way around the counter to get to the curtained off area in the back. He’d been hoping to make a quick, and quiet getaway. He was going to leave the phone number to his residence hall with Roger so they could call him later to arrange the next fitting, and if John were honest, so that the blond man could know his number and where he lived just in case.

Freddie laughed, and the brunet blushed at the compliment. He was so unused to being talked about like that, and this woman had no reserves about saying it to his face.

“He is one of my models, darling, but not working here like Roger is. He’s going to be walking in my next show. I know I sent you an invitation to it.” Freddie spoke as he pulled out a few items of clothing. It was like he knew exactly what to pick out for them. Either he was that attuned to her style or they must have talked about it on a previous visit because there was no hesitation in his choices.

John gave a small wave from where he stood, a little bit like deer in headlights. “I need to head out Freddie. Got homework to finish up. Lovely to meet you ma’am.” As he went behind the curtain to retrieve his coat, he heard the woman and Freddie talking.

“Homework? Don’t tell me you’re hiring secondary school students now.” She said with a laugh.

“Oh no, he’s in university.” Roger answered for them. During the lesson, in addition to learning about modeling from the duo, they’d asked him about himself. Freddie liked to give pamphlets to his fashion show guests that talked about not only the clothes but about the models in the show. He’d said that he did this because they were just as important as the clothes, so he liked to tell people about them.

While John was in the back, he filled out a little sheet that had a bit of trivia questions about himself on it. Things like his occupation, favorite color, and where he was from. At the bottom, he wrote down the number to the shared phone in his residence hall with a note to call him to schedule the next fitting.

When he emerged from the back, coat on and ready to go, he saw Freddie holding different pieces of clothing up against the woman, now deep into a discussion about which one was a better choice for her. Roger was sitting on the little stool behind the counter with a textbook open in front of him, along with notes of his own. So Roger was a student like was. That surprised John a bit. He didn’t seem like the type who would be doing anything but what he loved, and he could tell Roger loved fashion and modeling.

He gave Roger a tap on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m heading out. I uh.. I left my number at the bottom of the information sheet. Just call me and let me know when you need me back again, yeah?”

Roger gave him a blinding smile. “Alright. It’ll probably be tomorrow evening.” He reached over and gave John’s shoulder a squeeze. “See you soon, John.”

“See you soon, Roger.” John said back before waving at Freddie when he looked their way, receiving a nod in return and walked out of the shop with a little bounce in his step.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


True to Roger’s word, Freddie called John at his residence hall the next evening. It had been another student who had knocked on his door and told him in a slightly grumpy tone that “Some bloke named Freddie is on the phone for you.” Before unceremoniously walking away. John wondered what bee had gotten in the guy’s bonnet before he picked up the phone where it sat in the middle of the hallway against the wall.

“This is John Deacon.”

“Oh my god, thank fucking Christ it’s you, dear. Whoever answered the phone was so rude. No greeting or anything, and then I don’t think he appreciated my attempt to correct him. I was half afraid he’d hung up on me.” 

John smiled, even though he knew that Freddie couldn’t see it. “I don’t know why he’d be upset at that at all.” John replied back quickly.

“I know! Who would turn down an etiquette lesson from The Freddie Mercury? Anywho, I wanted to let you know that I need you here on Saturday, if that’s ok. I’m doing a final fitting for all the models that day, and the show will be the following Saturday. I’ll give you the details this weekend. Does that work for you?”

The way Freddie said it made it sound like a statement rather than a question. It didn’t matter if it worked for John or not, he had to show up. 

“I can do that. Any specific time you need me there?” He asked as he leaned against the wall next to the phone.

“Two p.m. would be fabulous, if you could.”

“I’ll be there. Is uh.. is Roger going to be there too?” John tried his best to sound nonchalant. He still felt a little heat in his cheeks as he said it, glad that the man couldn’t see him.

“Yes Roger will be there all day. Saturday’s are quite busy for the stall.” The tone of his voice let John know that Freddie was on to him. The man was sharp as a tack, no doubt. “He’ll be delighted to see you again. He’s been talking about you non stop.”

At that moment, John heard something in the background over the phone. He couldn’t make it out clearly but it sounded like someone shouting, probably from across whatever room Freddie was calling him from. Was it Brian needing his attention?

“I’d better let you go, sounds like you’re busy over there.” John said, feeling the heat in his cheeks get warmer when he realized what it was that Freddie had said. Roger had been talking about him? He would be happy to see him again? It made John’s heart flutter just the tiniest bit, and it gave another tiny boost to his ego. He’d made an impression on Roger. He hadn’t known until that moment just how badly he’d wanted to be memorable to the beautiful man.

“Oh it’s just Roger being annoying and ungrateful as usual. Sometimes I wonder why I agreed to let the little tyrant live with me and Brian. I’ll see you on Saturday at two o’clock. Don’t forget what we told you, keep practicing that walk and your expressions.”

There was more incoherent shouting, but this time it was louder. Roger must have moved in closer to Freddie on the other end. So Roger lived with Freddie and Brian. That was an unexpected surprise.

John smiled, and he was sure that Freddie would be able to hear it through his words. “Of course, I’ll see you then. Tell Roger I said hello, and that it’ll be good to see him too.”

“Tar, darling.” And then the clicking sound of a phone being hung up came down the line. John shook his head, but smiled as he placed the phone back onto its cradle before returning to his room down the hall. John was pretty sure he’d gotten himself caught up in so much more than a fashion show. His attraction to Roger, and the camaraderie he felt towards Freddie felt less like a fleeting fancy and more like something that could truly develop into something more substantial. When he’d met Ronnie in secondary school it had been a very similar feeling. There was a little something extra there that he couldn’t explain. John returned to his studying, a little smile playing on his lips as he did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


John walked with a small spring in his step as he made his way through London and back to the small stall in Kensington that housed Mercury Rising. Instead of walking with his head down and shoulders slouched, he walked the way that Freddie and Roger had taught him to do earlier in the week. He’d tried to practice in his room, but it was only a few paces to cross from one side to the other. He’d taken to walking up and down the hall in the night and evening when everyone was either out, or holed up in their rooms.

He’d been caught more than once by fellow students as he moved up down the hall. Each time, he’d felt sheepish and retreated back to his room to focus on his studies. Now, out on the streets of London, he could freely practice the tips he’d gotten from the fashion designer and model/student without worrying about how people perceived him. The street was filled with strangers he may well never see again, who were more focused on their own lives than anything else around. He held his head high, his back straight, and kicked out his legs just a bit. He switched to a gait that had more hip thrown into it with each leg ever so slightly crossing in front of the other with each step.

The air was still, but his hair fluttered around his face as he walked, his movement creating a sort of false breeze around him. It was one of the tricks that Freddie taught him. How to create your own fan as you walked. Things that draped always looked better when they were flowing about, according to the dark haired man. This included both fabric and hair. Before he knew it, John was back in front of Mercury Rising for the third time in a single week with a nearly one hundred and eighty degree turn in attitude from the first time. Far from being unenthusiastic about having to show up to a stupid audition that his best friend nagged him into, he was looking forward to seeing the flamboyant designer, and the pretty male model who worked for him.

He checked his watch, and found that he was actually about ten minutes early for his appointment with Freddie, but he went into the stall anyway. Better to be early than late, and this also meant he could get some time with Roger, if he wasn’t busy with a customer. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. Roger was deep in conversation with another young man, gesturing to different pieces of clothing. He did look up towards John as he heard the bell ring, and the smile that he gave the younger man could put the sun to shame. They exchanged waves, and John gestured to the back curtain, letting Roger know he was going back. The blond gave a nod in return and turned back to the customer.

John made his way back behind the curtain, where Freddie was making small adjustments to a minidress outfit that was on a blond woman who was around Freddie’s age. She was pretty, with a blond bob and fringe. Even standing on the platform circle she was only slightly taller than Freddie.

“Oh, John darling. You’re here!” Freddie said as he finished putting a pin in the dress. He walked over and gave John a tight hug, that the brunet returned with a small pat on the man’s back. “You look fabulous darling.” The dark haired man said as he stepped back from John and looked him over. “You’ve been practising, I can tell.”

John had been practising, and not just the walking and posing. He’d been conscious of the way he stood and sat, as well. He kept his back straight, stood taller and more sturdily now. It had become reflex after the last few days. If nothing else, he’d come out of this with better posture and a bit more confidence on the other side, in addition to the money.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Freddie?” The woman said from her place on the pedestal. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the designer. These two had to know each other in some way. John would not have dreamed of speaking to Freddie so casually if he was just a model hired to do a show. Just like he was now.

“Oh my, where are my manners?” Freddie said, ever so slightly flustered. It made John smile, especially after what Freddie had said about trying to give his fellow dormitory resident in etiquette when he had called the brunet. “Mary, this is John. He’s one of the other models in the show. John, this is Mary. She’s one of my best customers, one of my models, and a friend as well.”

Another puzzle piece slotted into place for John. Not only were Freddie himself, his boyfriend Brian, and his employee and friend Roger walking in the show, he had yet another friend who was making an appearance in the line up. It really was making more sense to John how he could afford to pay John what he was for so little work. His friends probably took a discounted pay for the charismatic man. John was pretty sure that if after the show Freddie announced he would only pay him half of what was promised, the young man would take it without question. The designer didn’t seem the type though from the amount of time he’d spent with him. He was very charming and seemed to get what he wanted without a whole lot of fuss, but he was also honest, and John appreciated that.

“Lovely to meet you.” John said with a polite smile and a nod of his head to the woman.

“You were right Freddie, he is as cute as you and Roger said he is.” She said with a teasing smile. John blushed, pink rising in his cheeks that had less to do with the compliment and more to do with who had given it. Roger told her he was cute? But how did he think he was cute? It was obvious Freddie thought of John as being cute in an adorable little brother sort of way. Is that how Roger saw him too, or did he think he was cute in an ‘I want to go on a date with him’ cute?

While John was lost in his thoughts, Freddie and Mary had begun pulling the dress from her body.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll pop out while you change.” John said as he headed for the curtain to give privacy to them. Before he could, there was a bit of chuckling from the pair.

“It’s ok, don’t bother. You’ll need to get used to it darling. You’re going to see everyone in the show in states of undress backstage.” Freddie said.

John looked quizzical, his eyes still avoiding looking at Mary, though from the corner of his eye he could see flutters of clothing as she redressed herself. 

“There’s no privacy at a show, you have to change quickly to make your next appearance.” Mary’s feminine voice said, drawing John’s eye back to her as she finished tugging her shirt over her head. She pulled her shoes back on quickly, and went over to give Freddie a kiss on the cheek that the man returned. “I’ll see you soon Freddie.” She went over to John and smiled at him before giving him a pat on the shoulder. “And I will see you at the show, John. It’s been lovely.” And with that, she was gone through the curtain.

Freddie grinned at John, “Come on darling, let’s get you into these clothes.”

A couple of minutes later, John was standing in nothing but his boxers as Freddie handed him a pair of shiny black on black patterned trousers. He’d just managed to get them pulled up and buttoned when Roger’s head popped through the curtain, causing John to jump slightly at the surprise. John watched as Roger’s eyes moved up and down along his body and swore he saw a glint in the man’s large blue eyes. It made John a bit self conscious and he crossed his arms over his chest, while Freddie still fretted about getting John the top that was meant to go with the trousers he was wearing.

“Freddie, I sold two more of the floral jackets. Bloke bought them for his sisters apparently.” Roger said to Freddie before turning his gaze back to John. “Those trousers do look wonderful on you.” Roger said with a smile, “It’s gonna look really great with the top, I just know it.” He made like he was going to pop back out, but stopped and looked up and down John once more with a small curve to his lips. “Pity you have to put it on though.” And then he was gone, the red velvet of the curtain swinging slightly in his wake.

John tried hard not to blush, he really did, but he still felt telltale heat in his cheeks. He was just glad that Roger couldn’t see it. For a moment he had forgotten that Freddie was still right there.

“Roger is quite the flirt, but trust me when I say that when he gives a compliment, he means it.” John startled when Freddie spoke, and the flush deepened when he realized he wasn’t alone. He looked over and Freddie was smiling at him. It was a knowing smile, like he could tell what was going on inside John’s head. He passed the top over to the brunet, who slid it on quickly. It was the black sleeveless vee neck with the white pattern around the neck. The pattern seemed to be based on nature with trees and birds. This was followed by a black blazer style jacket.

All three articles of clothing fit John like a glove, forming to his narrow body and elongating his legs. The jacket nipped in a bit at his waist, giving John a bit more shape than his stick straight body usually had. Freddie walked around him, tugging here and there at parts of the outfit. The words he’d said still hung in the air, and in John’s brain. Did that mean that Roger liked John? Freddie said he’d meant the words about looking good, and the flirt about it being a pity he had to put clothes on. At least, Roger found John attractive. Was Roger like that though? Like Freddie and Brian or even like John himself? He wouldn’t know unless he asked, and he didn’t want Freddie to tell Roger’s secrets or predilections. That would be unfair. Hadn’t Freddie hinted at the possibility though?

John was drawn from his thoughts again when Freddie handed him a pair of black and white platform wingtip style boots. “You’ll be wearing these for the show with both outfits, dear. Put them on and make sure they fit alright. Need to know if I have to trade them out.”

John nodded and pulled the boots on, finding that they actually fit him pretty snugly. 

“You look fabulous darling!” Freddie said, echoing the sentiment he’d given John at his audition. This made John smile a little. He was getting used to the compliments. It would be very difficult to go back to being plain old boring John after all of this was done. “We’ll have the accessories on the day of the show. I’m sure I got your ring size right so we won’t need to worry about them falling off.”

The rest of the fitting flew by. John was given a round of approval from Freddie, declaring him to be the most adorable model he’d ever had. Freddie gave him the details of where and when for the show, reminding him that they would be doing a dry run beforehand so John needed to show up early, as this was his first time.

John nodded and laughed at Freddie as he finished a story about a former model who had shown up five minutes before a previous show, drunk and nearly tumbled off of the runway back when he was still in university just as they were emerging from behind the curtain with John in his normal attire again. 

“I see you two have become quite chummy.” Said Roger as he looked up from the textbooks he had on the counter in front of him. The shop was empty once again, though Roger had peeked behind the curtain a few more times during the fitting to announce more sales. He’d also delivered more compliments to John in the process. “Am I being deposed as a best friend and favorite model so easily Fred?” The blond gave a teasing smile. “I wouldn’t blame you, though. Who wouldn’t want someone like John around all the time?”

John fought the urge to blush again, somewhat succeeding as he only felt the faintest hint of heat in his cheeks. He smiled shyly back at Roger, while Freddie laughed. 

“You are on form today, aren’t you?” John said as a tease back, feeling a small boldness now after being around the pair so much.

“What can I say? I have wonderful material to work with. When someone looks as good as you, how could I not say something?” Jesus, the man was good. 

“I’m beginning to feel like a third wheel.” Freddie said, but he was smiling when he said it. 

“I need to get going,” John said, though he was reluctant to do so. He wanted to stay and flirt with Roger and hear more of Freddie’s stories, but he had projects and other schoolwork to attend to. He’d also promised Ronnie that they would hang out that evening. “I’ll see you next Saturday. Four pm, at the venue.”

Both of the men nodded at him and gave him a wave after expressing their disappointment at him having to leave. Roger actually looked like he wanted to say something more, but stayed quiet as John walked away. 


	4. Another Runway, Another Payday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's worlds collide when Roger and Ronnie meet. John faces the runway, and there's an unexpected prize at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone reading this and putting up with my inconsistent posting schedule! There will be brownie points for anyone who can tell me where I got the inspirations for John's runway outfits from. Please enjoy!

The following Tuesday evening, John was in his room, sitting at his desk and staring at the papers in front of him. The words and numbers were all blurring together in his vision. He was finding it hard to concentrate on the work, his brain so loaded with equations and diagrams that he didn’t know which direction was up anymore. He leaned back in his chair, and unconsciously began to move his body, positioning himself so that one arm draped over the back of the chair, one leg crossed over the other, while his other arm moved to rest over the top of his head. He was posing, just like he’d been taught. 

He hummed to himself, and changed positions again, switching to another pose, and then another, and yet again another after that. It felt good, in a weird way. The actions forced the blur of numbers and letters and angles and diagrams from his brain, and made him think about the way that his limbs were moving, how they rested, and the expressions that went across his face.

He let out a deep breath, and a small smile crossed his lips and he sat back in his chair, no longer posing just relaxing. His brain felt clearer, and more focused now that the jumble had been cleared from it. 

“Oh no, don’t let me stop you. Keep going.”

John yelped and jumped, nearly falling from his chair. This was the second time in the last couple of weeks that Ronnie had scared him like that by coming into his room unannounced. He needed to put a bell on her like a cat or something.

John held up a finger to the casually dressed woman smiling in his doorway, “You’re going to kill me one of these days Ronnie.”

“Why would I do that? Who else would be my wingman then?” She said as she moved into the room, still grinning. She looked at his desk, and deeming it safe, she hopped up onto the edge and crossed her legs. “How’s the gig going by the way, you haven’t really said much about it.”

It was true, John hadn’t really said much about it to Ronnie, or anyone for that matter. It almost felt separate from the life he had here at the college. It was an entity unto itself, some sort of.. Not a secret but something dear that he wanted for himself.

“It’s going ok. Freddie is quite the character, but he’s nice. One of the other models has given me lessons in how to walk and pose.” John felt a tiny bit of heat creep into his cheeks when he mentioned Roger, but he moved his head so that his hair fell around his face to hide most of it.

“Oh? Maybe you could put in a word for me with one of the models. I haven’t been on a proper date in ages.” She smiled down at him, giving him a teasing look. “Or we could go dancing down in Soho and you can show off some of those moves you’ve been practicing.”

“Am I interrupting?” came a voice from the door, and John nearly fell out his chair again for the second time in under five minutes when he saw that none other than Roger was at his open doorway, leaning against the frame of the door.

He was just as fashionably dressed as always, in a white button up that was undone to his navel with flared jeans and a leather jacket. A myriad of necklaces hung from his neck in the open gap of his shirt. There was a pair of aviators perched on top of his head, and he was wearing the sparkly pink canvas shoes again.

“Rog! What are you doing here? How did you find my room?” John asked quickly. He’d given his phone number and address to Freddie, and by extension Roger, but hadn’t given them his room number.

“Asked someone in the entryway,” He shrugged, “I’m a work mate and I needed to talk to you about something. Wasn’t too hard to get them to tell me.” He smiled at John, and nodded to Ronnie. “Aren’t you going to introduce me John?”

John looked puzzled for a moment before he remembered that they weren’t alone. The second he’d laid eyes on Roger, he’d honed in on the blond man’s presence.

“Oh! Roger, this is Veronica. Ronnie, this is Roger. He’s the one who was giving me lessons.” John said quickly as he stood, gesturing between the two. It was so strange, seeing the two worlds collide like this. Roger flashed Ronnie a smile, causing the woman to blush slightly as she hopped off John’s desk.

Ronnie held out her hand, and Roger took it in a polite greeting, giving her nod along with the smile. “So you’re the one who talked John here into coming to the audition then?” He said as he went back to leaning on the frame, turning the smile a bit cheeky when he looked back over to the brunet.

“Guilty as charged.” She said, with a slight flutter of her lashes. John knew what was happening. Ronnie was trying to flirt with Roger. A small bit of jealousy flared up inside of him and he squashed it down. Ronnie didn’t know he was harboring a crush on the beautiful blond man, so he couldn’t blame her for at least trying. Who wouldn’t want to flirt with Roger? He was basically a god among men in the looks department.

“Well, then Freddie, and myself, and Brian have you to thank for sending him to us. He’s a natural, and we know he’ll be a hit at the show.” Roger’s eyes stayed on John while he spoke and then moved back to Ronnie. 

“John hasn’t even told me when the show is! I was hoping to get to see him in action.”

“Ronnie!” John said, sounding exasperated and just a little bit embarrassed like Ronnie was his mum talking about seeing him in his primary school play. “It's a job thing, not a disco! I thought it would be rude to ask for an invitation.”

Roger looked amused at the exchange between them, and laughed softly. “It’s ok John, really. Freddie would love to have her at the show.” He looked over at Ronnie again. “Saturday at 6. John can tell you where it is. Freddie will definitely want to meet you, and thank you personally.” He said it as a tease, but the designer would enjoy meeting John’s friend. “But in all seriousness, I do need to speak with John about the show.”

Ronnie hesitated for a moment, before it hit her that he meant to speak to John alone. “Oh! I’ll be going then. I’ll see you later John. And I’ll see you Saturday at the show?” She directed at Roger, still flirting a bit.

“Can’t miss me. I’ll be the blond man walking down the runway.” Roger said, clearly teasing the young woman. “Nice meeting you.” He moved into the room and out of the doorframe so that Ronnie could pass. Once she was gone, he sighed and rubbed at his neck. 

“That happen often I assume?” John said as he motioned to his chair for Roger to sit. He took a seat on the edge of his bed as Roger folded himself into the chair.

“It’s not easy being this good looking.” He said with a cheeky grin, “You’ll know all about it, I presume.”

John felt heat in his cheeks again, and moved so that his hair covered most of the blush again, but from the look on Roger’s face he could tell he wasn’t very successful. “No actually. Most of the time people are blitzed by the time they approach me.”

“They probably need the liquid courage. It takes guts to talk to someone as pretty as you.” John was flabbergasted. The man was a flirting genius, and fuck if it wasn’t working on him.

John cleared his throat and crossed his legs before looking to the still ajar door to make sure that no one was peeping in. “So, you needed to talk to me about Saturday?” He said, trying not so subtlety to change the subject.

“Oh yes!” Roger said before launching into a half hour lecture on how the show will work. He was filled with such enthusiasm and knowledge that John was sure that if the man told him he’d have to walk down the runway starkers, he would have readily agreed. He would have regretted it later, but he still would have done it.

It turned out there was a lot more detail and insanity that happened at a fashion show than John could have ever expected. The plus side was that because this was going to be a small sample show, it wouldn’t be as crazy as it could have been. Freddie had opted out of showing a full collection, preferring to show only key pieces and showing off his talents rather than trying to sell the clothes themselves. Roger explained that because Freddie was still relatively unknown in the fashion world, he needed his skills to be seen more than he needed to sell the line.

Roger told him about how the mechanics worked backstage, and how there would be stations like wardrobe and makeup, and how changes between outfits worked backstage. John was going to be in the middle of the line up, going on stage just after Roger did. 

John felt both more excited and more nervous as Roger explained this to him. The idea of the cameras scared him a little bit, but he knew it was going to be something that had to happen. By the time the end of the lecture came around, John already felt exhausted. He could only imagine what it would be like after the actual show.

“Any questions?” Roger said, though that was a bit unnecessary, as John was an engaged student who had asked questions along the way. John shook his head. “Well then I have a question for you.”

John raised an eyebrow. What kind of question could the blond have for him?

“Do you want to go grab a pint? I’ll even get you chips after.” Roger said with a cheeky grin, like a man who was used to getting his way through his charms. And damn if it didn’t work on John.

John looked at the pile of papers on his desk, internally groaning at the thought that he needed to finish those papers before the weekend. Then his eyes turned back to Roger still lounging in the desk chair, a Cheshire Cat grin on his face. John needed to say no, he really should say no.

“Yeah alright. I could use a break.” Screw it. The homework would be here when he got back, but he only had a limited time with the blond model. The show would be Saturday, and afterwards the beautiful man would forget that boring John Deacon existed. He was determined to soak up as much time with Roger as he could. He wanted to feel special for just a little while, and Roger had a way of making him feel desirable and wanted.

“Bloody good!” He said as he stood. “I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re ready.”

Once Roger had left the room, John looked down at himself, realizing for the first time that he was in an old pair of jeans and a scruffy tee shirt that he’d changed into after his lectures. He palmed his face and sighed, realizing that he looked entirely unmodel-like. He dug through his wardrobe, and found something that wasn’t tragically boring. He threw on the patterned button up, and a pair of jeans that were newer and fit him better than the old ones did. He ran a brush through his hair, and fluffed it up a bit before tugging on his favorite boots. After another glance in the mirror he unbuttoned the top two buttons of the shirt and threw on his jacket. He was as good as he was going to get.

Spending time out in public with Roger went almost exactly the way that John had expected it would. They wound their way through the streets of London, both men smoking after Roger had offered a cigarette to the younger man. John was an occasional social smoker, but never bought packs himself. He’d always bummed off of others around him, and this was no different.

John noticed more eyes on them than he had ever noticed on his own before. Most of the people who looked were probably wondering why the hell Roger and John were going anywhere together. John had those thoughts in his own mind as well. The blond had been carrying most of the conversation, John interjecting occasionally to voice an opinion on whatever subject matter had arisen. They found out that they had similar interest in cars, and science fiction, and even some music. Roger was a bit more rock and roll and John was more into funk and soul, but they both loved music that had great beats, and bass lines.

At the pub, they managed to snag a quiet booth in the corner once they’d gotten their pints, and the conversation kept flowing. Roger started talking about different designers and types of clothing that he wished he could afford to wear. Most of his own things were secondhand, or embellished in some way by Freddie. He, of course, had many pieces made by Freddie as well. 

“Tell me more about the degree you’re working for.” Roger said as he sipped at his pint. He’d just told John about his own college work. He was aiming for a degree in biology, just to make his mum happy. He’d fondly rolled his eyes when he’d talked about how insistent she was on him obtaining some sort of degree, just in case. 

“Oh, it’s nothing interesting really.” John spoke a bit shyly, not that the conversation was focused on him and not just a shared interest. “I’m studying Electronics.”

“Yeah, you said something about that at your lesson, but you never really said what that meant.” Roger rested his elbow on the table and planted his chin in the palm of his hand, eyes focused intently on John’s face. It made him look like he was interested in the subject, but John doubted that. 

“Well, I’m studying how they work. How to build and fix electronics, and how to create new ones. I’ve always loved tinkering with things, you know. Taking stuff apart and putting it back together to see how it worked.” A small smile went across his lips when he thought about different times in the past, especially his teen years, when he would take different things around his mum’s house apart and put it back together. Usually things worked just fine after he did, but sometimes they didn’t. Sometimes he’d forgotten to unplug something from the mains before messing with it and electrocuted himself. It was a small miracle that he’d made it this far in life sometimes.

He explained this to Roger, who laughed about John’s inability to fix things, and gasped in shock when he was told about the electrocutions.

“Hurt like hell. Felt like someone had set fire to me for about two seconds, but I was fine. No permanent damage. Now I remember to make sure things are unplugged before I mess with them.” John said with a smile that showed the little gap in his front teeth before drinking down what little was left in his pint glass.

“Come on, brainbox. I saw the pile of coursework on your desk I know you need to get back to, and I promised you chips.” Roger said as he rose from the booth, grabbing his jacket and slinging it back on. John got up and followed after putting his own coat back on before they stepped out into the slightly chilly afternoon.

They ate the chips they obtained from a small window front chip shop while they walked back through London to John’s residence hall in mostly silence, with just the occasional comment on some shop or pub they passed. The quiet times between comments were comfortable. John just enjoyed being in the presence of Roger, and was warming to the idea of trying to meet up with him again after the show was over. The blond seemed to enjoy his company, and maybe they would be friends. It was probably the best John could hope for. For all of his flirtations, there was no way that Roger was truly interested in the younger man. 

They parted ways at the entryway to John’s dorm, the brunet feeling much lighter than he had before. 

“I’ll see you Saturday John.” Roger said as he pat John on the back, his hand lingering for a little bit longer than would be deemed appropriate for friends. 

“I’ll be the nervous brunet. You can’t miss me.” John teased, in a mimic of what Roger had said earlier that day. Roger smiled back at him and gave a wave as he walked off into the chilly sunlight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time seemed to fly by for John, and before he knew it, it was Saturday morning and a roil of nerves was moving through his stomach. He had made a monumental effort to finish every project or assignment he had the night before, and had stayed up well into the night so that he wouldn’t have to worry about them for the rest of the weekend. He’d slept in, knowing that he wasn’t due at the venue until late afternoon, and with an inkling that the night would probably be longer than just the length of the show. 

He would be expected to show up to the afterparty, and though it wasn’t really his scene, he was going to make the effort for Freddie and Roger. He was going to make the most of the night afterwards, if he didn’t pass out from stress before he could even walk the runway.

He puttered around his dorm room, standing in front of the mirror hanging on the door of his wardrobe and practiced his facial expression. He tried to practice his walk in his room again, but gave up just as he had before. There wasn’t enough room to truly move around, and the building was filled with other students, so he couldn’t use the hallways like he’d done before. 

He grabbed a late lunch from the cafeteria on the ground floor and ate it in his room while he went over the notes he’d made after his excursion with Roger on Tuesday. He’d been tempted to write it all down as Roger had been talking to him, but that had seemed a bit excessive at the time. So, he’d waited until afterwards to write it all down while it was still fairly fresh in his mind.

He was startled out of his thoughts when the alarm next to his bed went off, signaling that it was time for him to get ready and head out. He’d already showered after waking up so that his hair would have enough time to dry before leaving. He grabbed the outfit he had chosen in an attempt to not look like an idiot in front of the other models before they put on the runway clothes. It was the same basic outfit he had worn to his audition, a button up and velvet trousers and he hoped it would come off as fashionable, but casual. He really was overthinking it all. 

The trip to the venue took about a half an hour between walking and the tube, but John managed to show up just on time. When he knocked at the back door, a woman answered and let him in, apparently recognizing him from his picture that Freddie kept of him. She led him through to a room that was bustling with activity already. He recognized Freddie, who was fretting about over racks of clothing, and his curly haired boyfriend Brian who was almost serene as he helped Freddie with whatever it was he was doing. He spotted Roger in a corner, talking with Mary and another woman that John didn’t recognize, but must have been the last model.

There were some other people scurrying about, one with a camera who was snapping shots seemingly at random, a woman in front of a vanity mirror who was setting up a bunch of compacts and brushes and other makeup type stuff, and another man next to her with various hair devices that John had seen Ronnie or his sister use.

“John!” The man turned at the sound of his name, and saw Roger waving for him to come over in the chaos. Once he’d made it over, Roger lopped his arm through the brunet’s and tugged him in against his side. John raised an eyebrow at the friendly contact, and usually he would have shrugged it off, not being one for physical contact with people he hardly knew. This was Roger though, and he couldn’t deny that the warmth that came from the blond was welcome. “John, This is Chrissie. You’ve not met her yet.”

“Hallo.” John gave the dark haired woman a smile and nod. “Pleasure to meet you. Is this it? Everyone here?” He asked. He knew that the show was only going to be six people with two outfits each. A very short show according to Roger. Normally there would be at least twice the amount. 

“Yeah, We’re gonna do a run through in a moment now that you’re here, and then it's onto hair and makeup. We’re doing this very small, so it’s gonna take a bit of time.” Roger said with a shrug, before tugging John over to Brian and Freddie, the girls staying behind to chat some more. “I come bearing a gift.” Roger cheerily said when they reached the pair. Freddie seemed much more calm now than he had before. Probably the sense of calmness that was radiating off of Brian had an effect on him. That was good. It seemed like they made a good pair in that sense.

“John, darling!” Freddie exclaimed as he pulled the young man into a tight hug.

“Oof! It’s good to see you too, Freddie.” John said as he was squished by the flamboyant man. Once he was released he took in a deep breath and held his hand out to Brian in greeting. “It’s nice to see you again too. Brian, right?”

“Yeah, you too mate.” the tall man smiled and nodded as they shook hands again. John felt an ease and comfort with him, just like he did with Freddie and Roger, even though he hadn’t been around him more than just the time they had met. 

For just a moment, as the four men stood there, John had an overwhelming sensation of rightness. It almost felt like a premonition of sorts, as if this moment was just the beginning of something even bigger and greater than he could ever imagine.

“Ok, my dears, it’s time to get to work!” Freddie announced with a clap, and a sudden flurry of activity began.

There was no time for John to stop and take a breath, and even less time for his brain to overthink. It took all of his focus to stay on task, listening and watching as everything went into motion. He was ferried from place to place, and even the dry run they did of the runway blurred in his mind as he concentrated on not tripping. 

It wasn’t until he was sitting in a chair with the man from earlier using a curling iron to make his already fluffy hair more stylish and presentable did the nerves start to set in once more. Roger was seated next to him, the makeup woman applying touches of glamour here and there. 

“What if they don’t like me Rog?” John said softly as he stared ahead into the mirror, his voice soft, trying not to let the other people hear him. “What if I trip? I’m going to make an absolute fool of myself.” He felt his heart rate speed up, and breathing became more shallow. He was trying to stay still, the threat of being burned by the curling iron a persistent worry alongside the other fears. His eyes moved so that he was looking at Roger in the mirror, and Roger’s blue gaze locked onto his own.

The brunet felt a hand wrap around his own, and when his eyes looked down, he saw that Roger had reached out and held on to his, squeezing lightly.

“Look at me John.” Roger said just as softly. John did as he was told, his green grey eyes staying trained on blue. “It’s going to be fine. You’re going to knock everyone’s socks off.” John still had the look of a deer in headlights, wide eyed and panicked. “I’m going to be there with you. Me, and Freddie, and Brian. We’re all here with you. You’re very talented, and you’re stunning. Just keep your head on straight, and do what we taught you. It’s like Fred said, you’re a natural. Remember that. I have faith in you, and so does Freddie.” He gave John’s hand another squeeze before letting go. 

“I’ll try.” John said, fighting the urge to nod. After a few more minutes, he and Roger swapped places, and it was John’s turn to have makeup applied. He’d never had any one before, and the sensation was strange but not unpleasant. The blush gave his cheeks a bit of color he naturally lacked when not blushing, and the eyeliner and mascara gave him a more doe eyed effect. The pale pink lipstick just helped his lips look fuller than they really were, and the overall look was a little disarming. He was  _ pretty. _ John had always thought of himself as average, but with a small amount of makeup, he became someone else entirely.

“Hello stranger, who are you and what have you done with John?” The brunet looked over and saw that Roger was giving him a teasing smile. His hair was partially curled in places, and teased up, giving him a sort of wild look. John felt his cheeks warm, glad for the blusher that was already in place on his cheeks that hid the evidence.

“Alright everyone, places!” Freddie called out to the room, and the models all went to the door to stand in line. It started with Brian, then Mary, Roger, John, Chrissie and Freddie bringing up the rear. Once Brian stepped out from behind the divider, that was it. The show started, and there was nothing to be done to stop it. The same woman who had opened the door for John stood next to the opening they would emerge from, telling each person the cue to move. The young man felt butterflies in his stomach as he drew nearer to the front of the line. The pace of the show was fairly slow, meant to mimic that of a casual walk rather than a quick bustle. He brushed at the soft black blazer, and sleeveless top with the nature designs, and fiddled with the fluffy bow tie around his neck, anything to keep his hands busy and the nerves from overtaking him.

“Ok John, you’re up.” The woman said with a reassuring smile as she herded him out from behind the curtain. It took everything in John to step forward. He could see Roger near the end of the runway, tugging off the leather jacket he’d been wearing to expose the sparkling black sleeveless top he was wearing underneath. Matching bands wrapped around one wrist and one bicep, and a sliver of skin was visible between the edges of the trousers and the top. 

John took his first step forward, and everything else fell away. He walked with his back straight, and hands in the pockets of the flared trousers just like he was walking down the street. The edges of the bowtie brushed against his jaw every few steps. He kicked his feet out just like Roger had shown him, and it really did make the pants flow better. Halfway down, he passed the blond on his way back, and received a wink from the man. John fought the urge to smile back at him, just giving a nod and a tiny quirk of his lips.

There had been a few flashes here and there of cameras capturing the moments of walking down, but once he reached the end, it was like the magnified tenfold. The greatest blessing of that was that it blocked out all of the people who were watching. He stood with his head held high, pulled his hands from his pockets, placed them on his waist, and cocked a hip out just like he did at his audition. He moved his hand up and brushed a lock of hair away from his face, holding the pose for just a moment before turning his face, and looking like he was checking his nails. He was trying to give off an air of coolness that he had never felt in his real life. A sense of aloofness that had always evaded him. 

He looked back up and turned, walking back with that same stride of easiness he had used walking down, hands returning to the pockets as if this was just another day. The freakout that wanted to invade from the edges of his mind was kept at bay by focusing on the tasks at hand once he got back behind the curtain. If he’d thought that it was chaos before, he hadn’t seen anything yet. A pair of shoes went sailing across the backstage as Freddie threw a pair to Brian before dashing back up to the curtain before his own first walk was due. 

John nearly ran to where the clothing was kept, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. He stripped down, and got clothed again in record time. He’d never changed that fast, not even when he’d been rushed out of some guys flat after a one night stand when his flat mate returned home unexpectedly.

He made it up to the curtain just in time to see Roger walking out in his second outfit, which had a pretty impressive fur coat as part of the ensemble. It was a little over the top, and definitely not John’s style, but the blond made it look good. It really wasn’t fair. He didn’t want to be like Roger. John wanted to be himself, but he wanted Roger to see him like that. Like he was something worthy of attention.

He was pushed out again, and this time as he walked, he changed his gait. He wanted to impress Roger, to make him look at John the way everyone else looked at the blond model. He lightly crossed his legs as he walked, causing his narrow hips to swing out a bit, and the little cape-like bit of fabric hanging down sway with the motion. He placed his hands on his hips so that the large sleeves also moved in time with the motion of his hips.

This time, when he passed Roger on the runway, he was the one to give a wink to the other man. For just a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a bit of fire heat up behind the man’s eyes before their eyes were no longer in contact. When he hit the end of the runway, he struck a powerful stance; hands on hips, feet apart, head head high, like he was the one they should all be looking up to. It gave him a small rush being there. He switched his stance, flourishing a hand and making the little cape of white silk flow out beside him in the process and the sleeve flutter. He threw his hands up in an arc so that the sleeves flowed out around him, almost as if they were wings, before turning back around and doing his hip swinging walk back down the runway and behind the curtain.

John was taken off guard when a hand wrapped around his arm and tugged on him. There was a flash of blond hair in his vision and he found himself in a corner with Roger pressed up against his front, that fire he’d seen on the runway still in the man’s eyes. This was unexpected, but most definitely welcome. John was still riding the high of adrenaline from walking the runway, his heart thumping in his chest. He really hoped that this meant what he hoped it did.

“Rog, what’s-” He started but Roger pressed a finger over his lips, blue eyes scanning John’s face. For what, he wasn’t sure, but he liked that the blond was looking so intently at him.

“I want to kiss you so fucking badly.” Roger said quietly. He looked back over his shoulder, and saw that the room was still in chaos, as did John. 

“Then why are you waiting?” John said quietly when Roger looked back at him. One of John’s hands came up to tangle in the back of Roger’s hair, while the other wrapped around the blond’s waist. Roger lifted his arms up and wrapped them around John’s shoulders, and the two men collided, their lips crashing against one another in a passionate kiss.


	5. I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the afterparty for the runway show, and John and Roger get to know each other even better than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm pretty sure that the outfit John wears to the afterparty will be a mystery to most people, but there are photos that exist of John wearing the top half of it! If you can show me the outfit in question, you get brownie points! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> WARNING: THERE BE SMUT AHEAD

The feeling of Roger pressed against John was like fire. John had never felt such a connection with someone so quickly, and from so little. They’d only been connected for a few moments before they were interrupted.

“If you two are quite finished, we have one last walk!” Came the voice of Freddie from across the room. The two men pulled apart, their breaths heavier than they had been before. They booth looked over to where Freddie was hurriedly gesturing at the two of them, frantic but still smirking a bit. It seemed that no one else had noticed, or if they did they were doing their best to not look. 

Both men blushed and looked sheepish before pulling apart. They both wiped at their lips, dispelling the moisture there, and trying to get rid of the smeared bits of lipstick around the edges of their mouths. They went to get back into the line up, but Freddie grabbed hold of John’s arm and tugged him next to him.

“You’re going to walk with me John. Usually Brian does, but you were so sensational that I just have to show you off dear!” Freddie said as the line began to walk out just like had been explained to John. As they walked, they clapped, leading the small audience in a round of applause for the show. At the end of the runway, where everyone else turned and went back, John and Freddie stopped. Freddie stood and waved as John kept applauding, a smile now on his face. Freddie took a flourishing bow, and then gestured at John to do the same. 

John felt a flush creep up his cheeks, but Freddie gestured again. John stepped forward and took a short bow before straightening up and waving shyly. Freddie turned and John went with him; following along as Freddie practically skipped back to the curtain. Once they were behind the curtain there was another flurry of activity, though this one felt more joyous and celebratory than stressful. 

“Everyone, you did fabulous!” Freddie proclaimed while everyone began to undress and change into more clothes for the after party. John had planned on just wearing the first outfit he had worn for the show, deeming the rest of his clothing to be too mundane for what it had been described as. He would return the clothes to Freddie the next week when he went to retrieve his pay.

John had tugged off his top, and felt a blush creep up in his cheeks when he saw that Roger was watching him from where he was a few feet away. 

“Pity you have to put the clothes on.” Roger said with a grin. This time knowing that Roger did, in fact, want him made a small shiver run down John’s spine. He was about to pull the vest top on, when Freddie came over with another one of those knowing grins. 

“John, I have another outfit for you. I know you were going to wear that, but I think this one will be better.” He held out a pile of fabric to John, who took it with a look of confusion. “We’ll meet you at the club, Rog.” Freddie said over his shoulder. The blond looked disappointed, like he didn’t want to leave John behind which made a bit of pride swell up in the brunet. 

“I’ll see you there Rog?” John said with a smile that was more like the first few he’d given the man. Shy, and sweet, a complete turn around from the heated kiss they had been sharing a few minutes earlier. 

Roger returned the smile with a blinding one of his own. He was pleased that John would be looking for him. He gave a nod, and a wink took off with Brian in tow.

Freddie turned back to John with a wide grin and waved his hands at the clothes. “Put them on, darling! You want to look fabulous for the party.. And for Roger.” The designer patted John on the shoulder as John felt the blush in his cheeks heat up even more and turned him a deeper shade of pink. He set down the clothing and started putting them on, and by the time the full outfit was on, he looked at himself in the mirror and said a single word.

“No.”

Twenty minutes later, John and Freddie stepped through the doors of the small club that was hosting the afterparty for the fashion show. John was still picking at the sleeves of the ‘shirt’ that Freddie had given to him. He felt exposed in this outfit even if there was fabric on nearly every part of him. Freddie had put him in a pair of tight black trousers. Tighter even than the ones he’d worn for the runway. It hugged his butt, thighs, and his crotch so that basically every line was visible. He’d had to forgo pants in order to escape having lines, and to just even fit into the trousers.

He could get over that. In the darkness of the night and the club, it would be easy to overlook that fact. It was the top part that gave him pause. He wore a black sleeveless cropped top. The bottom of the form fitting shirt stopped just above his navel. Over that, Freddie had given him a black long sleeve shirt. The sleeves were tight around the cuffs, but loose and billowing everywhere else. The top was also absolutely sheer. You could see everything underneath. At least the crop top covered his chest, but his arms and midsection were not hidden in any real way. He had donned the platform boots, and the silver rings that he’d worn on the runway to complete the look.

John looked around the darkened room, lit mainly by flashing multicolored lights. The sound of some sort of disco music pounded through the room. There were at least a hundred people packed into the room. They were filling the dance floor, the bar, and the booths around the club. John scanned the room, trying to find the now familiar head of blond hair. Before he could spot Roger in the fray, Freddie took a hold of his arm, and tugged him down into the pit that served as the dancefloor.

“I remember you saying that you enjoyed a dance!” Freddie said loudly over the music. He started to dance, moving his hips and swaying his arms. John laughed at the sight, and couldn’t help but join in. There was such an infectious quality to Freddie that John was not immune to. Freddie was drawing him out of his shell. For a few precious moments, he forgot about how ridiculous he thought he looked and was just enjoying his time. 

After a few minutes of shaking his hips and bouncing around, John looked up and his green grey eyes locked on to baby blue across the room. Roger was leaning against the bar, looking like some sort of angel in an all white outfit that stood in stark contrast to John’s all black. John could see something deep inside of Roger at that moment. It looked very much like hunger, like if given half a chance Roger would eat him alive. The look sent another shiver down John’s spine.

“I’m going to get a drink, Freddie!” John yelled to his now disappointed dance partner over the music before weaving his way through the other dancers to where Roger stood. Those blue eyes followed John’s every move, and the brunet knew because his eyes stayed glued to Roger as well. 

“Hey Rog,” John said with a smile as he squeezed himself up to the bar right next to the blond. Their bodies pressed against one another from shoulder to hip, sending tingles through their bodies though none of their skin was touching. Both men wanted nothing more than to lose themselves in each other, but this was not the time or the place. It was a dangerous thing to be like them in public. 

“Hello John,” Roger said in return, his voice clear, but a bit thick. His gaze moved over John’s form while the brunet ordered himself a drink. “You did fantastic today. You looked like a natural out on the runway.”

“Thanks, You didn’t do too bad yourself.” John said as he turned his body. Roger mirrored him so that they were facing each other. The tension between the two was almost palpable as they stared at each other. “Thanks, for helping me, by the way. I don’t think I’ve done that yet.”

Roger smiled and took a sip from his drink, and gave a shrug. “No need to thank me. You had it in you already, just needed some direction.”

John swore he could feel everywhere that the blond’s eyes looked. It may as well have been Roger’s fingers on his skin. John’s drink arrived a moment later, and he took a long pull from the vodka tonic before he spoke again, letting the alcohol fuel his next words.

“I insist, though to thank you properly we’d need to get out of here.” John said before draining the rest of his drink, watching the way that Roger’s eyes burned at his words. He gave the model a little smile and went back towards the dance floor, walking like he had in his second outfit with a sway in his hips. He’d just gotten back out into the fray when he felt arms wrap around him. 

He panicked a little, thinking that Roger had come after him. He was happy he’d had that effect, but it would not be good for them to be so close in such a public space. Even Brian and Freddie kept a respectable distance from each other. 

“Hey there Mr. Model!” A female voice shouted and John turned around to find that it was actually Ronnie who had snuck up on him. He’d been so engrossed in the dancing and then in Roger that he forgot that his best friend was going to be here. She’d been at the show as well, but all of the lights, and John’s focus on the task at hand had made it impossible to seek her out in the seating. She was dressed to the nines, with a full face of carefully applied makeup and a flowery printed mini dress and boots. 

“Ronnie!” John said with surprise, “You’re here!” He wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug. 

“Of course I am, I wouldn’t miss your big debut.” Ronnie said while she returned the hug. She pulled back and looked his outfit up and down. Even in the dim light of the club, the shirt was sheer. He still had makeup on from the show, at Freddie’s insistence.“You look.. Different.” When John’s brows furrowed at her comment, she quickly added. “It’s good! Different in a good way.”

“John, darling! There you are, we’ve been searching for you. Wanted to make sure you were still having a good time.” Came the loud call of Freddie as the designer pressed his way through the crowd with Brian close behind him. He smiled at the younger man before turning his attention to Ronnie. “And who is this young woman? Your friend John?”

“Yes, I’m Ronnie.” She said loudly over the din of the club. “You must be Freddie. It’s wonderful to finally meet you! Thank you for putting John in your show, I knew he’d do great.” The look on her face was smug at those words. 

“Ah, so you’re the one who led John to us then? He’s a wonderful model! Let Brian and I buy you a drink to thank you.” Freddie said, putting his hand on her back and guiding Ronnie towards the bar, all while gesturing wildly and introducing the young woman to his boyfriend. Well, John was pretty sure Freddie didn’t introduce Brian as his boyfriend, but that was beside the point. He watched as the three converged on the bar, finding Roger still standing there with another drink in his hand.

John gave Roger another smile, and watched as the blond was pulled into a conversation with Freddie, Brian, and Ronnie before he gracefully wove his way through the crowd, using the skills he’d been taught by Roger himself. 

He made a quick trip to the loo, and dodged several women who tried to get his attention. It was flattering to know that they wanted to stop him, most likely to flirt, but John felt nothing with them. He didn’t need or want their attention. There was only one person in the place he wanted any of that from. He was still as polite as he could be, telling them that he was sorry, but was looking for someone. Not a total lie as he looked around trying to see if he could spot any of his friends in the place, but everything seemed to blend together a bit.

John gave up his search after a bit, and made his way out to the side alley to try to get a breath of fresh air. He’d just made it out and had taken a deep breath of the night air when he heard his name being called. Off to the side a few paces down stood the ones he had been looking for. Roger, Freddie, Brian and Ronnie were all standing in a group. The blond and the designer both had lit cigarettes in hand, and Ronnie was in the process of lighting one up. She was a social smoker just like John was.

John made his way over to the others and plucked the freshly lit stick from Ronnie’s hand and took a drag before passing back to her. She frowned at him, to which he stuck his tongue out at her before letting the smoke curl back out through his lips. John didn’t miss the way that Roger’s eyes moved to his lips at the action.

“I told you that you would look fabulous in that, darling!” Freddie said with a grin after taking a drag from his cigarette. His eyes looked between John and Roger, not missing the way that Roger’s eyes kept darting to look over the young man. 

John felt heat creep up in his cheeks, even though the night air was chilly against his barely covered skin. The sheer fabric did nothing to stop the cold from getting to his skin, but he was still warm from the interior of the club. Freddie had told him not to worry about his clothes, and that he’d have them waiting for John when he came to pick up his pay. He instinctively moved closer to Roger, his body seeking the warmth that he felt earlier during their kiss. 

John watched, and listened as the other four spoke, and laughed. Ronnie seemed to be fitting in famously with the others. She seemed especially keen on Roger, which was no surprise. The blond model was like a flame that one couldn’t help but be drawn to. John bit at his lower lip as he thought about how shocking it would be if Ronnie knew that Roger had been kissing John earlier that evening. Now was not the time though. 

John was shook from his musings when Roger held out his cigarette to him with a little smirk on his lips. John took it and took a long, slow drag. His eyes never left Roger’s face, entranced by the way the man watched him. He handed the cigarette back, and the model took it before deliberately wrapping his lips around the tip and sucking in the smoke.

This was a dangerous game that they were playing with each other. In the past, John had been terrified of doing something like this. His previous encounters were all secret and under the radar, but this was different. This was not going to be a fling in a dirty loo like he’d done before. Those men and women had meant nothing. There was no real spark there. Roger was beginning to mean so much more than what had been in the past.

They were outside for a few minutes more before John began to shiver from the cold. 

“Let’s head back in yeah? I need to see Disco Deaky in action again.” Roger said with a cheeky smile. John let out an exasperated groan. Between the time he’d gone to the loo and the time he found the group again, Ronnie had managed to tell the other three about his little nickname. The way that Roger said the name made John feel like he wasn’t going to live that one down for quite some time. 

The group trooped back in, where Freddie pulled a mildly protesting Brian out onto the dance floor. Ronnie got pulled away by someone that John vaguely recognized. He thought it might be her friend from over at Ealing, the one who had suggested the modeling job to Ronnie. Dom her name was. John wondered briefly if she had been at the show too, but didn’t have much time to think about it as Roger tugged on his arm.

“Come on Deaky, give us a spin.”

John smiled at that. He recalled that Roger wasn’t much of a dancer by his own admission. He was much more into rock and roll than anything, and preferred to sing along and bounce around than really dance. Still, he tugged on the billowing sleeve of John’s shirt towards the place where Freddie was trying very hard to help his gangly boyfriend move to the music. For someone as graceful as Brian was on the runway, he lacked in dancing coordination. He didn’t seem to mind though, and Freddie was still smiling that open, adoring smile at him. 

John could see how much in love they were, even if for all outward appearances, they just looked like two mates having a lark. John felt movement next to him and saw that Roger had begun to move as well. He was slightly more coordinated than long limbed Brian was, but only just. He stayed on beat, swaying and moving his hips and arms. Under the flashing lights, with his lithe body moving, Roger looked like a vision. An angel living among humans with his all white ensemble, blond hair and blue eyes.

Roger looked at him expectantly, and John realized he hadn’t been moving. He’d just been watching the way Roger had been moving. John pulled himself together and he began to move. He closed his eyes and let himself be pulled in by the driving disco beat. It felt like it did when he was on the runway. He just allowed himself to move, letting his body express everything. Soon, he felt a hand grasp his own. He opened his eyes and Roger was smiling at him. It was a dazzling one that John thought could light up any room. 

John laughed as Roger urged him to spin, and the brunet did. He pulled until they were at arm’s length before moving back in again and colliding with the blond, with both men laughing. They held onto each other and kept moving, staying a bit apart as they swayed while grasping each other’s shoulders. They were careful to not move in too close to each other as they danced together, still aware of everyone around them, even as they honed in on each other. 

They looked like light and shadow moving together. Roger all in white, blond and angelic, a gift from the heavens. John in his dark clothing, and dark hair like some sort of incubus from a classical painting. 

Roger leaned in, and whispered into John’s ear. “I remember you said you would thank me properly if we were away from here.” He pulled away and grinned, like he’d just shared a joke with the younger man. Heat rose once more in John’s cheeks. Was Roger really suggesting what he thought he was? 

“I vaguely remember that, yes.” John said, just so the two of them could hear. They still moved their bodies, the beat just second nature inside of them. He was trying to match Roger’s flirting, and was succeeding fairly well if he said so himself, even if butterflies were still dancing in his stomach.

Roger pulled away from John with a smile, not saying a word. The man turned and began to move through the crowd, heading towards the front door of the club. John turned to see that Freddie, Brian, and Ronnie had been joined by Chrissie and Mary now and were all embroiled in the task of trying to help teach the tall man some dance moves with mixed results. He turned back and saw Roger look over his shoulder as he was still retreating, eyes flashing under the strobing lights. John followed after him, like a moth to a flame, unable to resist the temptation.

The two men were spit out onto the busy Saturday night street after retrieving their coats from the coat check at the front. John followed after Roger when he turned and started to purposefully walk down the street, lighting up a cigarette as he did. The brunet quickly moved to match Roger’s pace, and took the offered cigarette when Roger held it out to him. They walked in silence for a few minutes, smoking their cigarettes as their arms brushed against one another. It was as close as they dared to be when out like this. 

“Why did you decide to audition?” Roger said suddenly as he tossed the butt of his cigarette out into the street. He gave John a curious look. Of all of the things that they had talked about when he’d sprung John from his afternoon of coursework, that subject hadn’t been brought up.

John shrugged slightly, and took one last drag from his own stick before chucking it out into the street like Roger had. “I thought it was a ridiculous idea at first when Ronnie brought the flyer to me.” He blew out the smoke into the chilly air. “Me, John Deacon, being a  _ model _ ? Preposterous.” He smiled a bit, like it was an inside joke. “But Ronnie wouldn’t let it go. She kept pestering me about it. I just went to appease her. I thought you and Freddie would take one look at me and send me on my way.” 

“Why would you think that? You’re gorgeous.” Roger said, truly perplexed. Why couldn’t John see that in himself? “And, If you didn’t really want to do it, why didn’t you just.. pretend?” 

Roger pulled out another cigarette and lit it up. He held it out to John, who waved it away. 

“I thought about it. I stood in front of the stall for a few minutes that day and thought about turning around and just going to a pub.” John gave a small laugh. “But I couldn’t stand the thought of lying to her. She’s my best friend. Not to mention she definitely would have known if I had.”

Roger nodded in agreement. He didn’t know John well enough to be able to tell if he was lying or not. The man had a phenomenal poker face, if the way he hid his nerves on the runway was any indication. “I’m glad you decided to come in. Freddie was sure about you the moment he saw you. He’s always been perceptive like that.” Roger said with a grin before pulling from his cigarette.

“And you?” John said, curiosity moving through him. They had stopped at a zebra crossing, and Roger waited until they were on the other side of the street before he answered. 

“I thought you were beautiful and graceful, and I saw potential. I was worried about how nervous and shy you were. There’s a certain amount of confidence you need to stand in front of a lot of people and be stared at.” Roger led them down another street, their gait casual like they were in no rush. On the outside they looked calm and collected, but on the inside both men could feel the tension beneath their little chatter. “Though I do find the shyness to be quite endearing.”

John thought about that for a bit as they walked. Roger had found him beautiful from the first time that he’d seen him. John should have known that from the way the blond flirted with him, but Roger had seemed the flirty type who would do that with anyone. John had caught glimpses of it when he spoke to customers. Roger outright telling him these things now felt like a relief. He found his innate shyness to be a good trait, which surprised John very much. His usual want to hide in the shadows and not be noticed was usually a hindrance, but being around Roger, Freddie, and even Brian, made John want to show more of his inner self.

When they reached another unremarkable block of flats, Roger dropped the butt of his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out under his shoe. He looked around to see that the road was clear, and that there was no one peeking out through any windows. John raised an eyebrow, to which the blond responded with a coy grin. He reached out and took a hold of John’s hand and tugged him towards the staircase leading up to the higher floors. 

It felt like little zaps of electricity were running through their joined hands as he was led to what must be Roger, Freddie and Brian’s flat. Roger only pulled his hand from John’s when they stopped in front of a red door on the second floor, and fumbled through his pockets to find his keys and then to unlock the door in the dim corridor. Roger quickly shut it behind them after ushering John in first. John felt the blond brush against his back in the small entryway, sending a shiver down along his spine in the process.

They were alone, in a locked flat. John’s mind began to whirl around as Roger tugged off his leather jacket, motioning for him to do the same. Why was John so nervous? He wanted to be alone like this with Roger so badly. This wasn’t his first time around in this department, but he’d never felt butterflies like he did at this moment. He shrugged off his coat and hung it on a hook next to the blond’s, and was led further into the small place. He was led to the tiny kitchen, and Roger began bustling around, pulling out a couple of glasses and a bottle of vodka from a cabinet he had to get on his tiptoes to reach. John swallowed thickly at the sight of Roger’s body

stretched out, the rising shirt showing more skin as he did. 

“Brian, the lanky fucker, always puts the good stuff in the back..” Roger muttered as he turned back around to John. The brunet could see the flash in the man’s eyes as he took him in under the full light of the kitchen. John shifted from foot to foot under the look, and his hands grasped each other in front of himself, trying to look casual. He was probably failing miserably.

John followed Roger back out into the main part of the flat to the living room, and set down the glasses and the bottle on the coffee table before gesturing for John to sit next to him on the plush velvet couch. The younger man took a seat, and fidgeted a little before getting comfortable. He was suddenly very nervous about the prospect of what might come next. He was used to the quiet one night stands, and hurried flings in club bathrooms. This felt much different to those somehow. This felt like the beginning of something, and not just a means to an end. 

He watched Roger pour them each a half glass of the vodka before passing one over to John.

“Cheers,” The blond said. John repeated it back to him and they clinked their glasses together before each taking a large swig of the burning liquid. 

“You have a nice flat.” John said, very aware of how awkward he was now feeling. It had been one thing to flirt with Roger when it didn’t feel like it might lead anywhere.

“It’s alright, gets the job done.” Roger said with a smirk. “Even if I do have to put up with the sound of Freddie and Brian going at it like a pair of rabbits.”

John had been in the middle of taking a swig of his drink when Roger had come out with that. His body rebelled with a mix of shock and laughter, causing him to choke slightly on the drink, while also spitting it back out into the glass. Roger leaned in closer and began to pat him on the back.

“I’ll be fine.” He said between coughing laughs as his body tried to simultaneously cough out the inhaled liquid and laugh at the same time. This was one of the many things he liked about Roger. He was brazen and unabashed, so unlike John was. Once he had calmed down enough, the feeling of the blond’s hand against his back became more present, the warmth of it seeping through the sheer fabric of his ‘shirt’. The touch was comforting and welcome, and he felt himself relax more, feeling bolder than he had been. It was a pattern he was discovering. Roger’s touch and presence had this effect on him that made him want more.

He set the glass down on the table, the drink having lost his interest and he sat back up turning his body so that he was facing more towards Roger. The man’s eyes were filled with concern, but also amusement. He thought he was clever, and funny. Both things were true, but John still pretended to be upset.

“Though I might not be able to make good on that promise now.” He said, trying to keep a straight face. He mostly succeeded, with only the way his eyes crinkled at the corners giving away his own humor.

Roger put on a look that was best described as that of a begging puppy as he set his own glass down on the table and scooted in closer to John. He reached out and grabbed the younger man’s hands and held them up against his chest. 

“Oh Deaky, I’m so sorry. I could try to make it better.” He said while batting his dark, mascara enhanced lashes.

John’s heart fluttered in his chest, and a tingle ran through him. His hands turned so that he laced his fingers with Roger’s and squeezed. “And how would you do that, Rog?” He spoke softly, barely above a whisper, while his upper half leaned in a bit closer to the blond. 

“I could..” Roger said just as quietly as he leaned forward until their faces were so close that their noses were nearly touching, “Kiss it better.” His breath was warm against John’s lips. The brunet’s eyes flicked down to Roger’s lips and back up to his eyes. He nodded his head the slightest bit. The older man moved in slowly, much more deliberate and soft than the kiss backstage had been. Their lips connected, and that fire that had been there for the first kiss was still there, burning just as hot.

John felt Roger’s tongue slide along his lips and he parted them readily, his own tongue flicking out to meet the model’s in a slow, sensual dance. John almost whimpered when Roger’s hands pulled away from his own, but was relieved when they moved to his waist, settling there, and pulling him in closer. He complied readily, his own hands pushing at Roger and urging him to sit back. They pulled away from each other for a moment, eyes locked on each other as Roger sat back on the couch, and John clambered onto his lap, one leg on either side of the other man’s. 

Roger’s arms wrapped around John’s waist, and his fingers slid up under the sheer fabric until they brushed the smooth skin on the younger man’s lower back, shooting little bits of flame through him. John brushed some of the hair away from his face before he leaned down and captured Roger’s lips again, this time with more urgency than before. His large hands moved down along the man’s chest and stomach, slowly undoing each button of the shirt as he did.

Once all of the buttons were undone, he slid his fingers under the fabric and Roger groaned softly into John’s mouth. The skin of his chest and stomach was soft and warm. John knew it would be, but this surpassed his fantasy. Roger tugged at the billowing fabric of John’s shirt and tugged it up. John pulled away from Roger with a sigh and helped him get the sheer fabric off of his body, and let it pool on the floor in front of the couch. Roger’s hands pressed flat against John’s flat stomach and traveled up, pushing his fingers under the tight fabric of the top. John helped him tug the crop top off of him, and let it join the sheer blouse on the ground. 

John gasped softly when Roger suddenly leaned up and flicked the tip of his tongue over one of his now exposed nipples. John’s head tilted back and he closed his eyes as Roger continued to lick, nip and kiss along his chest, paying special attention to his nipples and his collarbone. Roger’s arms wrapped around the younger man. Palms rubbing up and down the lean muscles, like he was trying to memorize each one by feeling. 

John slowly began to roll his hips against Roger’s lap, mewling softly at how he could feel Roger’s growing hardness press against him through the fabric of their trousers. His own erection was straining against the fly of his own trousers, and it was beginning to feel a little painful in its confinement. The trousers were already very tight as it was. 

He whimpered when he felt Roger begin to match his hip movements with his own, in a mimic of what John was finding himself wanting more and more with each thrust. John gently grasped a handful of the blond hair, finding it just a little stiff and crinkly from the products used in it earlier, and tugged it gently to pull Roger’s mouth away from his chest. He was going to have several marks there if the feeling was any indication. The thought sent a thrill through John. Just knowing that we would have physical proof that he’d been with this ethereal creature was a turn on in itself. 

John looked down at Roger, and smiled, showing the little gap in his front teeth. The sight of Roger was a thing of beauty. Blond hair tousled, lips wet and slightly swollen, smeared with their lipstick, cheeks flushed, and pupils so wide they nearly swallowed all of the blue in them. 

“What’s so funny Deaks?” Roger said with his own smile while one had snaked around from his back and drew his fingers over the younger man’s chest, tracing the edges of the hickies that were blossoming there.

“You’re just so pretty. I wonder if the rest of you is just as pretty as your face.” John said with a slight groan as he rolled his hips even more firmly than he had been before. He was bold now that he was in this position with the blond. It was no longer a flirting game, it was truly happening. 

A glint lit up in the dark depths of Roger’s eyes, and the hand against John’s lower back pressed more firmly against him.

“Only one way to find out.” The blond said, his hands going to John’s hips and pushing him back. John nearly whimpered when he was made to leave Roger’s lap entirely, but Roger just took hold of his hand and led him down the short hallway to a small bedroom. Roger didn’t bother with turning on a light, but even in the silver glow of the moon streaming through the window John could tell the room was untidy, with clothes strewn about everywhere, textbooks piled up on the tiny desk, and mountains of novels all over the place. Roger had not been kidding when he’d said he loved to read science fiction. He practically had his own library of magazines and books on the subject. 

He was pulled back into the moment when Roger let go of his hand to shut the bedroom door and pull his shirt fully from his body before tossing it into a laundry hamper across the room. Roger tugged off his shoes and socks next, and John quickly followed suit. Roger sat down on the edge of the bed and held his hand out to John. 

Instead of crawling back into Roger’s lap, John lowered himself down to his knees in front of the blond, nudging the man’s legs apart so he could slot himself between them. He looked up and saw that Roger’s breathing had become more shallow, his chest rising and falling more quickly than before. He raised an eyebrow to John in a silent question.

“I did say I was going to thank you, didn’t I?” John’s hands came to rest on Ronger’s knees before sliding up along his thighs, feeling the muscles flex beneath his fingers. His fingers moved to the fly of Roger’s trousers, and undid the button and zip there. One of the model’s hands came up and gently ran his fingers through the fluffy brown hair. 

“Are you sure John?” Roger said gently, giving him the opportunity to say no. It was a bit sweet that he was thinking of John’s comfort in that way, but the younger man wasn’t going to stop now.

Without a word, John reached under the hem of Roger’s pants and trousers and wrapped his hand around Roger’s trapped cock and gently tugged it free. He turned his eyes up towards the man’s face, wanting to see the reaction he had, and let his tongue flick across the tip. He saw the fiery look in Roger’s eyes, and the shiver that passed through the man at the touch. The hand at his head now gently grasped his hair, and John smiled.

“I was right, you are just as pretty down here.” And it was true. Roger had a nicely shaped cock. It was thick and not too long. The thought of Roger being inside of John sent fire straight to his core. He leaned down and wrapped his lips around the head of Roger’s dick and swirled his tongue around it before taking a couple inches into his mouth before pulling back again, only to repeat the move. His hand that had been wrapped around the base, moved along with his mouth, stroking Roger firmly and slowly. 

John could hear the little moans and groans from Roger above him, and these spurred him on further, as with each pas of his mouth he moved further down on his cock until he nearly touched the back of his throat.

“Oh fuck.. John.. your mouth.. Fuck!” Roger said as his hips writhed under John, clearly trying to hold himself back. John was grateful for that, as he didn’t have the world’s best gag reflex. He pulled off of Roger’s cock with a soft pop and his other hand tugged at the hem of the blond’s trousers, and he gently lifted his bum and helped push them down. As soon as the pants were off of Roger, John returned to giving his cock attention. He kissed and licked down along the underside of his cock until he reached the base and then back up again. He began to suck and stroke at Roger once again, pressing the flat of his tongue along the vein along the underside. His other hand moved down to cup Roger’s balls, gently rolling them in his palm, fingers massaging the sensitive orbs.

“God, John, you look so fucking gorgeous like that. You’re like a fucking angel, so pretty and dirty.”

Roger gasped, and groaned loudly and the hand in his hair gripped him even more firmly, tugging a bit. John turned his eyes back up to Roger as he slid his cock in and out of his mouth, swallowing down the precum that dripped from it. Roger was panting deeply now, eyes transfixed on the sight of John on his knees in front of him, lips wrapped around his cock. 

“J-John.. I’m gonna..” Roger grunted out as his hips wiggled and his breathing became uneven. He tugged on John’s hair again, trying to get him to pull away. John did, and his hand sped up on Roger’s length, using his spit and precum to lubricate the action. 

“Cum for me Rog, I want it all over me.” John said. This was unexpected, but he went for it. He wasn’t one to talk much during sex, but it seemed that Roger had a bit of a thing for talking dirty, so John gave it back. 

Roger groaned out John’s name, long and low as his core muscles contracted and he began to cum, splattering John’s cheek, chin and throat, and painting him with the hot liquid. John stopped stroking Roger when he tugged at John’s hair and panted out. “S-stop..”

John licked at his lips, and tasted some of the slightly salty and bitter cum. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. He could have swallowed it, but If he didn’t have to, then he wouldn’t. Maybe another time. If there was another time. He really, really hoped there would be. 

“Bloody hell, baby. That was fucking hot.” Roger said through panting breaths. “You look so beautiful like that..” His hand released John’s hair and ran his fingers through it again, his dark and hazy gaze looking up and down what parts of John he could see, taking in the sight of him.

Heat flooded John’s cheeks, and he licked at his lips again. He batted his eyelashes, trying to look innocent even as he was kneeling on the floor covered in cum. 

“Come here..” Roger practically growled out at John’s innocent play. John stood up and whimpered slightly when he felt his cock shift in his tight trousers, harder than ever, and straining hard against the fabric. Roger reached out and grasped John’s hips, pulling him in close. John used his hands on Roger’s shoulders to steady himself, and Roger’s fingers played with the hem of John’s pants. 

The blond’s fingers undid the fly of his pants, and tugged them down. A great relief went through John when his erection was finally freed from it’s fabric prison. 

“Fuck’s sake John, no wonder you walked so funny when you were carrying this around.” Roger smiled and joked as he looked up at John. He pushed the fabric all the way down and the brunet stepped out of the trousers and kicked them aside. 

Roger scooted back on the bed until he was sitting against the headboard, pulling John along with him. The younger man crawled into the blond’s lap once again, his butt sitting down on Roger’s thighs. The blond gently ran his hands sling John’s thighs, and then up along his sides and chest. He leaned up and ran his tongue over John’s neck, lapping up the cum still there. John shivered as Roger continued to lick along his skin and cleaned off his own seed. It was a very dirty action but it still sent thrills through John.

Roger reached John’s lips and he eagerly returned the kiss, the taste of the blond’s cum still on his tongue. Roger’s hand reached between them and wrapped around John’s large cock and began to stroke him in earnest. His hands were warm and skillful, twisting and moving at a quick and steady pace. John knew he wasn't going to last very long from being so on edge since nearly the beginning. He moaned into Roger’s mouth, arms around the blond’s shoulders while his hips rocked along with Roger’s hand, trying to keep up with him. Roger’s lips pulled away and sloppily kissed along John’s jaw and up to the spot just below the brunet’s ear after nosing away the fluffy hair there. He kissed at the shell of John’s ear and whispered to him.

“You’re so bloody gorgeous John. Your cock is so big, I bet it would feel fucking amazing inside of me. I know it would taste just as delicious as your lips do, love.”

John whimpered and groaned out loudly. He pulled back, only to drag Roger into another sloppy kiss as desire built to a peak inside of his belly. He cried out against Roger’s mouth as he felt himself fall over the edge, and his cock twitched in the blond’s hand as he spilled his release over it and onto both of their stomachs. He panted and gently pushed Roger’s hand away from his length when the stimulation became too much and panted deeply, his thighs quivering. Roger helped lower him down onto the bed with another sweet kiss, as John rode out the high of orgasm. The model gently stroked the hair from John’s face and told him he would be right back.

The absence of Roger was saddening to John, but as he laid there catching his breath, he couldn’t help but grin like a fool. He’d just given a blow job to and gotten a handy from the most beautiful man he had ever met. Roger returned a minute later, still stark naked, and cleaned of the cum that had been on him from John. He flicked on the lamp beside his bed, and he crawled back into the small bed. He had a couple of wet cloths in his hands and he began to wipe down John, clearing up the mess that they had made. John almost felt like he could cry. No other partner he’d had in the past had ever taken care of him like this. It wasn’t like he’d been with tons of people in the last couple of years, but still. 

“Sit up, I’m gonna try to get some of the makeup off.” Roger said as he gestured for John to sit up as well. John pushed himself up and sat still as Roger began to rub the other, much softer, cloth on his face. 

“Have you taken makeup off of many people?” John said, trying to fill the silence. He wondered if Roger had done this for partners in the past.

“Once or twice. Usually after a show backstage.” Roger said as he swiped the cloth under each of John’s eyes, trying to get rid of as much of the eyeliner there as he could. “Mostly it's just on myself. Close your eyes.” John did as instructed and Roger wiped at them to get rid of the eyeliner that was there as well. He ran the cloth over John’s face, wiping up the sweat and blush and lipstick. “There, back to being regular John again.” He smiled, and leaned in to give John a peck on the lips. “Even more beautiful.” 

He tossed the rags towards the hamper on the other side of the room, and squeezed himself in to sit next to John after making him scoot over to make room. The two men barely fit there side by side, their bodies pressed along one another. Roger grabbed the pack of cigarettes, lighter, and ashtray on his nightstand and pulled out and lit a cigarette for each of them. 

They sat in silence, smoking their sticks, for a few minutes. Roger wrapped his arm around John’s shoulder, and the brunet laid his head down on Roger’s shoulder. After John and Roger put their cigarettes out in the ashtray, he sat up straight with a sigh. He started to move to get out of the bed.

“I should get going-” He began to say, but was stopped when Roger reached out and took hold of his forearm, and tugged him back towards him. He tugged the blankets out from under them and dragged John down until they were laying on their sides, facing each other. 

“Roger, what are you-?” Roger pulled the blanket up around both of them, and put a finger up to John’s lips. 

“It’s late, Deaks. And you think that after the mind blowing orgasms we both had, I’m going to just let you walk out on me?” Roger said with a grin. He put his arm around John’s waist and pulled him in closer. John moved in and tucked himself under Roger’s chin and curled against him. He’d not really done this before, the whole cuddling with someone part. It felt comfortable with Roger, like he was meant to be there. 

“What about Freddie and Brian?” John said against Roger’s chest before planting a kiss there. “Won’t they mind that I’m here?” He’d always been kicked out after his encounters, with both men and women. He’d served his purpose and was no longer needed or they were afraid of flat mates coming back and finding John there.

Roger laughed softly and pressed a kiss to the top of John’s head. “I’m pretty sure Freddie will be thrilled to see you here, and Brian won’t mind the least bit. Get some rest Deaky, see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Rog.” John said on a yawn. He really was tired. The day had been exhausting, and had ended in the best way possible. It made a smile stay on his lips while he listened to the sound of Roger’s breathing evening out as he fell into sleep, with John following soon after.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to leave comments and kudos, and come talk to me on Tumblr where my username is the same! Big hugs and thank yous to Phoenix_Queen and to The Clog Factory for all the support!


End file.
